Strangely, the plants 'rain' are both sweet and fragrant

In particular, this "rainwater" is both sweet and fragrant, inviting insects and birds to enjoy, thereby supporting the pollination process.

Biologist Domingos de Melo - Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (Brazil) - recalled in 2015 a strange tree, broad canopy, hardwood, white flowers in the northeastern Brazilian forest.

The flowers of the Hymenaea cangaceira tree can create "sweet rain" that attracts pollinating animals - (Image: A. DOMINGOS DE MELO).

It was the dry season, but Domingos de Melo suddenly encountered rain. Observing carefully, he saw that rain water did not fall from the sky, but from this strange tree.

It is Hymenaea cangaceira , one of only two species in the world discovered to create "rain". According to Science News , the "rain" here is actually nectar, producing so much flowers that it can simultaneously fall to the ground like drizzle.

According to the team, a single flower was able to produce 1.5 milliliters of honey per night. It is estimated that about 624,000 flowers of the same species in the region can provide up to 920 liters of honey at a time.

Mr. Domingos de Melo said this figure could be enough to fill 15 beer kegs. This is a huge record compared to the overall rainfall in the northeastern forests of Brazil in the dry season.

Previously, a rice flower about 70 meters high in the Amazon rainforest was also known for its ability to make "sweet rain". However, Hymenaea cangaceira is only 10 meters high.

"I used to think tall plants that would be difficult to attract new pollinators had to create" sweet rain, "but actually much lower plants like Hymenaea cangaceira could do this," said Domingos de Melo.

Bats are the species that supports the most pollinated Hymenaea cangaceira - (Image: A. DOMINGOS DE MELO).

According to the team, the animal that supports the most pollinated Hymenaea cangaceira is the bat. During the observation, the team found that although many insects and birds seemed curious about the sweet showers, only the bat was "passionate" and enjoyed the longest.

This is beneficial for plant pollination because it is estimated that there are 96 different species of bat in Hymenaea cangaceira .

Through chemical analysis, the team found that the honey of Hymenaea cangaceira consists of 38 different odor compounds, of which the substances that produce cinnamon and fermented fruits account for 68%. Currently, Domingos de Melo is trying to determine which specific material has the effect of attracting the bat.

According to Dr. Amy Parachnowitsch, an evolutionary scientist at the University of New Brunswick (Canada), there is still very little research on the unique structure and composition of the nectar of species.

"Therefore, more experiments are needed to understand the mechanisms and functional roles of some nectar species, especially those aiming to attract different types of pollinators," said Amy Parachnowitsch.