Now to the point.....over 100 years ago, Charles Darwin was studying the
fertilization of orchids by insects. He predicted that in Madagascar,
there must be a moth with a 10 to 12" probiscus capable of reaching to
the bottom of the spur/tube and fertilizing this flower. Many years
later such a moth----- the night flying Xanthopan morgani praedicta
----
was discovered.
There is another orchid, which I am familiar with that _only_ has
fragrance at night and is visited by moths, Brassavola nodosa, the Lady
of the Night Orchid which has slender green- gray "rat tail" type leaves
with small white delightfully
fragrant flowers. I have seen moths pollinating the flowers at night on
my patio, a very interesting phenomena.
On a side note there is another species of terrestrial orchids (Ophrys)
with approximately 30 species. Ophrys insectifera, has a lip that
resembles the female Argogorytes mystaceus wasp. A male wasp in
attempting copulation fertilizes the flower. The inter relationship
between animals and flowers never fail to amaze me. It is a shame that
man doesn't respect the natural world and it's beauty more.
Leo
************************************
Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler'
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