The luscious aroma of flowers attracts lovers, and the biological role of that smell is similar: to attract pollinators. “Plants need to attract insects, bats and hummingbirds to transfer the pollen and create fertile seeds,” says Hugh Iltis, professor emeritus of botany at UW-Madison.
— From Curiosities: Why Do Flowers Smell, And Why Do Plants Smell, Too?, in Science Daily, with thanks to Ruth for the link and post title!
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Just an F.Y.I.: Hugh's a peach of a guy, and my heart skipped a beat to see his name here.
Glad to hear it, and hope to find a link to the longer article eventually. Sounds like he does interesting work.