AboutOrchids

Scientists have discovered the first orchid that blooms in the dark. British and Dutch botanists found the new species, which they’ve named Bulbophyllum nocturnum, native to a single island off New Guinea. After saving the unknown orchid from a logging area, they brought it back to Europe. They were perplexed when its flower buds seemed to die, but then realized that it blooms only for a single night from 10 p.m. until sunrise. While some orchid varieties are pollinated at night, including many types with fragrant, white flowers like Angraecums and Jumelleas, those flowers stay open during the day. No other orchid is known to flower exclusively at night. The new species fits right into the large Bulbophyllum family, which is full of bizarre blooms. Kew Gardens orchid specialist Andre Schuiteman, one of the scientists who investigated the strange new plant, said: “This is another reminder that surprising discoveries can still be made. But it is a race against time to find species like this that only occur in primeval tropical forests. As we all know, such forests are disappearing fast. It is therefore increasingly important to obtain funding for the fieldwork required to make such discoveries.”

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 at 10:45 am and is filed under In the News, Warm Growers.

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