The first ever night flowering orchid, called Bulbophyllum nocturnum, has been discovered by botanists, but they don’t know why the orchids have evolved to flower at night, though they think the orchid could be pollinated by nocturnal flies rather than daytime insects.
The orchid was discovered by Dutch botanist Ed de Vogel in New Britain, Papua New Guinea who took the plant back to the Netherlands to study why the buds seem to wither rather produce a flower. Vogel soon discovered the flowers opened up at night and closed during the day, and it wasn’t due to jetlag.
The flowers only open for one night too, so the buds shrink the next day, making it look like the flower fails to open. The orchid seemed to be quite precise, opening up at around 10pm and closing at around 10am.
This shows how nature fills all possible niches in the pursuit of life and evolution, but these orchids could face extinction by humans even before they are fully appreciated as the discovered orchid is in a forest that is due to be logged, and once exposed to the full sun the orchid, and all other lower level shaded plants will die.
Via Kew Gardens & BBC
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