The yellow cowhorn orchid, Cyrtopodium flavum, has been naturalized in a small area of Miami-Dade County in southeastern Florida since the early 1970s We recently observed an alien oil-collecting bee Centris nitida pollinating C. flavum in Florida, an activity that could promote the spread of the weed We investigated the spread of the orchid and found it at twelve sites and in two additional counties; Broward County to the north and Collier County to the west The natural area most suited for the orchid are the pine rocklands of Miami-Dade County, a native vegetation type that has been greatly diminished by development. Evidence of flower visitation (pollinia removal or fruit set) was found in the counties where C. mtida is widely established Although the orchid appears to be spreading, it is a rarely encountered plant that is unlikely to become an aggressive weed in Florida.
