New York Orchid Show 2013: Angraecoids

Angraecum sesquipidale 'Waterfield Easter Bunny'

     There were only two species of the Angraecoid alliance that I spotted at the Orchid Show this year, but one of them made a huge impression.  That was the giant display of three Angraecum sesquipidale plants pictured above.  The waxy white flowers were by far the largest of any orchids at the show.  IOSPE reports that flowers can reach up to 7" wide, but I'm certain that these blooms were significantly larger than that.

Angraecum sesquipidale 'Waterfield Easter Bunny'

     Each flower has a nectar-containing spur which can be as many as 14" long. Upon seeing these flowers, Darwin hypothesized the existance of a pollinating insect whose proboscis would be long enough to reach into those spurs. Darwin's prediction of a pollinator with a foot-long proboscis was ridiculed.

     21 years after Darwin's death, the moth (Xanthopan morgani) was discovered, in what has become one of the most celebrated predictions from the theory of evolution. 

     I am disappointed that I didn't get better photos of this magnificent orchid, but unfortunately I was a little rushed while I was passing that area.

Aerangis citrata

     The other blooming Angraecoid at the show was Aerangis citrata, an orchid that was hidden behind glass in a miniatures display.  The leaves of the plant were hidden behind the scenery, showing only the long sprays of small white flowers.