[1] Pollination is mainly by bats and, as usual in such cases, the flowers do not have a pleasant smell but produce copious thin nectar.

While most of them only do this opportunistically, some species — e.g., the fork-tailed woodnymph (Thalurania furcata) and in particular the glittering-throated emerald (Chionomesa fimbriata) — appear to visit pequi tree flowers on a regular basis.

[citation needed] As the stigmata dry out at daybreak, it is not clear whether birds, particularly tanagers, play a role in pollination or are merely making use of an easy early-morning snack, particularly considering that during the flowering season of C. brasiliense, little such food is available.

They resemble a mangosteen (another distantly related member of the Malpighiales) in having a few (usually 1-4) segments of pulpy pericarp inside the skin, yellow and with a typical strong taste and smell mixing sweet, fruity and cheesy aromas.

[citation needed] Embedded in the mesocarp is a light-colored seed enclosed in a blackish shell covered with thin and tough woody spines, though spineless individuals exist in the wild.

Both the mesocarp and the seed are edible for humans as well as many animals, including usually carnivorous species like the yellow-headed caracara (Milvago chimachima).

Care must be taken to gently scrape the pulp off the pit using one's teeth: The spines can detach and hurt the mouth, causing considerable pain and being difficult to remove.

The pequi is habitually consumed by the population in the Cerrado zone and is deeply rooted in the regional culture and cooking.

"[5]Given the importance of bats and perhaps birds for pollination, removal of native woodland is liable to have long-term negative impacts on fruit yield even if no C. brasiliense trees are physically harmed.