OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaThe Madagascar star orchid is a beautiful white flower that looks like a glowing star. It grows only on the island of Madagascar, near Africa. This flower has an amazing secret — a super long tube that holds sweet nectar all the way at the bottom!
This orchid has big, waxy white petals shaped like a star. Each flower has a very long green tube called a spur that hangs down from the back. The spur can be almost 12 inches long — that is as long as a ruler! The sweet nectar that insects want to drink is hidden at the very bottom of this long tube.
A scientist named Charles Darwin saw this flower in 1862. He was amazed by the super long tube! He said there must be a moth somewhere with a tongue long enough to reach the nectar at the bottom. People laughed at him, but 41 years later, scientists found exactly that moth in Madagascar!
The orchid needs help from a special moth to make seeds. When the moth pushes its long tongue deep into the tube to drink nectar, pollen sticks to the moth’s face. Then the moth flies to another orchid and the pollen rubs off. This helps the flower make new seeds!
- The orchid’s scientific name, Angraecum sesquipedale, means “one and a half feet” because of how long the nectar tube is!
- The flowers are white so they are easy to see at night, when the moths come to visit.
- The orchid releases its strongest smell after dark to attract moths.
- This orchid is sometimes called the “Christmas orchid” because it often blooms around the holiday season.
- Only one special kind of moth can drink from this flower. They need each other to survive!
