The pollen walls of the “primitive” or lower Epidendroideae (Orchidaceae) were examined with SEM and TEM to determine whether or not pollen wall ultrastructure would have systematic implications. Pollen wall ultrastructure is indeed in some way a reflection of the “make-up” and the function of the pollinia, and can be used as a referee to classification schemes of epidendroids. The various types of exine structure are correlated with the tribes. Tectate exines with columellae and a more or less compact foot layer are seen as primitive (found in many basic Vanilleae), while either the reduction or even the absence of a foot layer (in advanced Vanilleae, in Arethuseae and Gastrodieae) or of columellae or even of the tectum itself (as in Triphoreae) should be regarded as advanced characters. The tribe-inherent “typical” exine is found in tetrads/polyads only in the outermost walls, while all walls inside the tetrads/polyads have an extremely reduced and fragile exine: often incoherent sporopollenin particles are embedded in the inline. Those—as we call them—“weak exine regions” may act as germination zones; therefore such pollen grains should not be seen as monoporate. Many uncommon, peculiar pollen wall characters occur both in Annonaceae and Orchidaceae. This unexpected, surprising result makes you reconsider current theories on the evolutionary significance of the pollen wall both in by no means related angiosperm families and in the angiosperms as a whole.