Bulbophyllum nocturnum

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Bulbophyllum nocturnum
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Dendrobieae
Genus: Bulbophyllum
Species:
B. nocturnum
Binomial name
Bulbophyllum nocturnum
J.J.Verm., de Vogel, Schuit. & A.Vogel

Bulbophyllum nocturnum is a species of epiphytic orchid that grows in New Britain. It was described in 2011, and is the first species of orchid known to consistently flower during the night, and close its flowers during the day. [2]

Contents

Distribution

Bulbophyllum nocturnum grows as an epiphyte in the rainforests of New Britain at an altitude of 240–300 metres (800–1,000 ft). [2] [3] The type specimens were collected in the Agengseng logging area, around the Upper Argulo River in West New Britain Province. [2] As of 2018, IUCN assessed the species as Vulnerable, threatened by logging and crop cultivation. [1]

Description and phenology

Bulbophyllum nocturnum has leaves up to 6.2 centimetres (2.4 in) long and 3.2 cm (1.3 in) wide. It produces flowering stalks only 5 mm (0.2 in) long, which bear an inflorescence comprising a single flower. The flowers are around 2 cm (0.8 in) long, with "yellowish green" sepals, with a red tint near the base; the lip is dark red, while the column is "yellow tinged red"; the petal appendages are greyish. [2]

Bulbophyllum nocturnum is believed to be the only species of orchid to routinely flower during the night. [2] Another species of orchid, Dendrobium amboinense , has been reported by some to open its flower at midnight and close them before noon, while other reports state that its flowers open at dawn. [4] It remains uncertain how B. nocturnum pollinates, as the flower is open for such a short space of time. [5] However, it is proposed that the flower may emulate a fungus, thus attracting small flies to act as pollinators. [2]

Taxonomy

Bulbophyllum is the largest genus in the family Orchidaceae, and one of the largest genera of flowering plants. [2] B. sect. Epicrianthes is a section of the genus comprising 38 species, 18 of which are endemic to New Guinea. The flowers in this section have been described as "bizarre", with the appendages of the petals often attached to long, delicate stalks, and the appendages resemble the fruiting bodies of slime moulds such as Arcyria and Stemonitis . [2] B. nocturnum was described in 2011 by a team of scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Leiden University, in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society . The specific epithet nocturnum refers to the plant's night-flowering phenology. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

Orchidaceae The orchid family of flowering plants

The Orchidaceae are a diverse and widespread family of flowering plants, with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant, commonly known as the orchid family.

Stamen The male organ of a flower

The stamen is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium.

<i>Bulbophyllum</i> Genus of orchids

Bulbophyllum is a genus of mostly epiphytic and lithophytic orchids in the family Orchidaceae. It is the largest genus in the orchid family and one of the largest genera of flowering plants with more than 2,000 species, exceeded in number only by Astragalus. These orchids are found in diverse habitats throughout most of the warmer parts of the world including Africa, southern Asia, Latin America, the West Indies, and various islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Orchids in this genus have thread-like or fibrous roots that creep over the surface of trees or rocks or hang from branches. The stem is divided into a rhizome and a pseudobulb, a feature that distinguished this genus from Dendrobium. There is usually only a single leaf at the top of the pseudobulb and from one to many flowers are arranged along an unbranched flowering stem that arises from the base of the pseudobulb. Several attempts have been made to separate Bulbophyllum into smaller genera, but most have not been accepted by the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.

<i>Cephalanthera rubra</i> Species of orchid

Cephalanthera rubra, known as red helleborine, is an orchid found in Europe, North Africa and southwest Asia. Although reasonably common in parts of its range, this Cephalanthera has always been one of the rarest orchids in Britain.

<i>Neotinea ustulata</i>

Neotinea ustulata is a European terrestrial orchid native to mountains in central and southern Europe, growing at up to 2,400 m (7,900 ft) elevation. The plant is considered Endangered in Great Britain and Least Concern internationally based on IUCN Red List criteria. The burnt-tip orchid was voted the county flower of Wiltshire in 2002 following a poll by the wild flora conservation charity Plantlife.

<i>Epidendrum nocturnum</i> Species of orchid

Epidendrum nocturnum is the type species of the genus Epidendrum of the Orchidaceae . The species occurs in Florida, Bahamas, West Indies, Central America to northern Brazil and the Guyanas. Epidendrum nocturnum is common in South Florida.

<i>Coelogyne flaccida</i> Species of orchid

Coelogyne flaccida is a species of orchid that is native to southeast Asia and northeastern South Asia. Cultivated as an ornamental plant, it is also known as the bearded Coelogyne and the loose Coelogyne.

<i>Bulbophyllum baileyi</i> Species of orchid from Australia and New Guinea

Bulbophyllum baileyi, commonly known as the fruit fly orchid, is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that is native to Queensland and New Guinea. It has coarse, creeping rhizomes, curved, yellowish pseudobulbs with a single thick, fleshy leaf, and a single cream-coloured flower with yellow, red or purple spots. It grows on trees and rocks in open forest, often in exposed places.

<i>Bulbophyllum minutissimum</i> Species of orchid

Bulbophyllum minutissimum, commonly known as the red bead orchid or grain-of-wheat orchid, is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid with small, flattened, reddish or green pseudobulbs, scale-like leaves and small whitish to reddish flowers with broad dar red stripes. It grows on trees and rocks, mostly in swamps and near streams in eastern Australia.

Bulbophyllum nematopodum, commonly known as the green cowl orchid, is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid that has small, flask-shaped pseudobulbs pressed against the surface on which it grows. Each pseudobulb has roots at its base, a single shiny, fleshy leaf and a single cream-coloured flower with red spots on its top. It grows on trees and rocks in rainforest and is endemic to tropical North Queensland.

<i>Dendrobium johannis</i> Species of orchid

Dendrobium johannis, commonly known as the chocolate tea tree orchid, is a species of epiphytic or lithophytic orchid native to Australia and New Guinea. It has spindle-shaped pseudobulbs, between five and ten dark green leaves with purplish markings and flowering stems with up to fifteen chocolate brown flowers with a yellow labellum.

<i>Dendrobium trilamellatum</i> Species of orchid

Dendrobium trilamellatum, commonly known as the fragrant tea tree orchid or large tea tree orchid, is a species of epiphytic orchid found in northern Australia and New Guinea. It has spindle-shaped pseudobulbs, between three and seven leathery, dark green leaves and between three and fifteen yellow, yellowish brown or brown flowers with a mauve to purple labellum.

<i>Cattleya rex</i> Species of plant

Cattleya rex is a species of epiphytic orchid of showy white flowers, native to montane forests in Peru and Bolivia.

<i>Lyperanthus</i>

Lyperanthus, commonly known as beak orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae, that is endemic to Australia. There are two species, one in Western Australia and the other in four eastern Australian states, distinguished by their single long, narrow, leathery leaf and dull coloured flowers which have prominent short calli on their labellum. Both form loose colonies which reproduce asexually from their tubers, and sexually using their flowers.

<i>Caleana</i>

Caleana, commonly known as duck orchids, is a genus of flowering plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae that is found in Australia and New Zealand. The Australian species are found in all states but have not been recorded in the Northern Territory. Duck orchids have a single leaf and one or a few, dull-coloured, inconspicuous flowers. Most species are found in Western Australia but one species occurs in eastern Australia and one occurs in eastern Australia and New Zealand. Orchids in this genus as well as the hammer orchids (Drakaea) are pollinated by male thynnid wasps.

<i>Cleistesiopsis</i> Genus of orchids

Cleistesiopsis is an orchid genus in the tribe Pogonieae. Its members were included in Cleistes until 2009. Cleistesiopsis is native to the eastern and southeastern United States from New Jersey south to Florida, and west to Kentucky and Louisiana. The common names are rosebud orchid and small spreading pogonia.

André Schuiteman is a Dutch botanist in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London, United Kingdom, where he is the Research Leader for Asia in Plant Identification and Naming. Schuitemania, a genus of orchid, was named in his honour.

Caladenia abbreviata, commonly known as the coastal spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, hairy leaf and up to three pale, creamy-yellow flowers on a flowering stem up to 35 cm (10 in) high. Although the flowers have long, thread-like petals and sepals, they are shorter and darker than those of other spider orchids. It is a rare, relatively recently discovered species although often found near human activities.

Pterostylis timorensis is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to East Timor. Both flowering and non-flowering plants have a rosette of light green, fleshy leaves. Flowering plants have a single green, white and reddish-brown flower and two or three stem leaves.

<i>Bulbophyllum maxillare</i> Species of orchid

Bulbophyllum maxillare, commonly known as the red horntail orchid, is a species of epiphytic orchid with tapered grooved, dark green to yellowish pseudobulbs, each with a single large, thin leaf and a single reddish flower with yellow or white edges. The lateral sepals are much larger than the dorsal sepal which in turn is much larger than the petals. It grows on the lower branches of rainforest trees in India, New Guinea and tropical North Queensland.

References

  1. 1 2 Chadburn, H.; Schuiteman, A. (2018). "Bulbophyllum nocturnum". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T119251227A119262558. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T119251227A119262558.en.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 André Schuiteman; Jaap Jan Vermeulen; Ed de Vogel & Art Vogel (2011). "Nocturne for an unknown pollinator: first description of a night-flowering orchid (Bulbophyllum nocturnum)". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society . 167 (3): 344–350. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2011.01183.x .
  3. Mark Kinver & Victoria Gill (22 November 2011). "Botanists discover 'remarkable' night-flowering orchid". BBC News . Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  4. "Bulbophyllum nocturnum". Species profile. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on 25 November 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  5. Tom Lawrie (23 November 2011). "World's first night-flowering orchid discovered". Australian Geographic. Archived from the original on 30 November 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2011.