Comet Orchids
There are approximately 220 species of Angraecum orchids, and more are still being discovered in Madagascar. Commonly called the Comet Orchid or Star Comet Orchids, the name refers to the flower’s star shape and the very long tail (spur) at the back of the lip.
The spur is actually the nectar tube and can grow up to 12 inches long. In 1862, Charles Darwin, wrote, “. . . in Madagascar there must be moths with probosces capable of extension to a length of between ten and eleven inches!” Since the nectar can only be found at the far end of the tube, pollinating a flower with such hard to reach nectar would seem almost impossible. Over 41 years later, the long-nosed moth was “found”. The hawk moth (Xanthopan morgani praedicta) is the sole pollinator of these plants -- a perfect example of mutual dependence of an orchid and a specific pollinator.
Hope your week is off to a good start. Thanks, as always, for stopping by and for all of your kind comments -- I appreciate them all.
© Melissa Post 2016
All rights reserved. Please respect my copyright and do not copy, modify or download this image to blogs or other websites without obtaining my explicit written permission.
Comet Orchids
There are approximately 220 species of Angraecum orchids, and more are still being discovered in Madagascar. Commonly called the Comet Orchid or Star Comet Orchids, the name refers to the flower’s star shape and the very long tail (spur) at the back of the lip.
The spur is actually the nectar tube and can grow up to 12 inches long. In 1862, Charles Darwin, wrote, “. . . in Madagascar there must be moths with probosces capable of extension to a length of between ten and eleven inches!” Since the nectar can only be found at the far end of the tube, pollinating a flower with such hard to reach nectar would seem almost impossible. Over 41 years later, the long-nosed moth was “found”. The hawk moth (Xanthopan morgani praedicta) is the sole pollinator of these plants -- a perfect example of mutual dependence of an orchid and a specific pollinator.
Hope your week is off to a good start. Thanks, as always, for stopping by and for all of your kind comments -- I appreciate them all.
© Melissa Post 2016
All rights reserved. Please respect my copyright and do not copy, modify or download this image to blogs or other websites without obtaining my explicit written permission.