Little is known about the role of mutualistic relationships with local species in promoting or limiting introduced invasive plant species. In this study we carried out controlled pollination treatments and floral visitor watches at three sites varying in degree of human disturbance in central Florida to determine the breeding system and potential pollinators of Paederia foetida L (skunk vine). A native of eastern Asia, P. foetida is invasive in natural and human created habitats in the southern United States and Hawaii. Our data suggested that populations of P. foetida in Florida were self-incompatible and relied on both small-bodied halictid bees native to Florida and the introduced European honey bee for pollination. Visitation by native bees was more frequent in less disturbed sites, while the opposite was true for the honey bees. Pollinator limitation was evident at the relatively undisturbed and the highly disturbed sites, but not at the intermediate disturbed site. Mutualistic relationships with native pollinators as well as the introduced honey bee probably contributed to the establishment and spread of skunk vine in Florida.
