Bat-pollinated (chiropterophilous) flowers are characterized by a wide-throated corolla, foetid odour, production of a copious amount of pollen and nectar, and most importantly nocturnal blooming (Faegri & van der Pijl 1979). In India, out of the 28 chiropterophilous plants reported (Subramanya & Radhamani 1993) only Ceiba pentandra (Bombacaceae) has been investigated in some detail (Nathan et al. 2005).