Bulbophyllum carunculatum – 365 days of orchids – day 1666
This beautiful and smelly orchid is a great addition to any collection.
This Bulbophyllum is endemic to the island of Sulawesi, part of the Indonesian islands. The species grows as an epiphyte in warm evergreen forests at around 800m and the fleshy leaves appreciate a shaded spot.
The species produces a number of sequential flowers throughout the summer on a long upright flower spike. The flowers are typically yellow with an almost black lip, this colour form seems to be relatively uncommon with its orange petals and veining. The flowers have a really unpleasant fragrance (which every student enjoys smelling once or twice) to attract the fly pollinator for the species – a highlight when the Britain in Bloom judges visited last week.
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Thank you.
My orchid is just 1 day in flower and it has a fly inside now, that came a few hours ago. That fly must be a common fly or a special fly?
It did not look like a blue bottle, had a yellow patch on its front/top.
What will happen to the flower, it is the first time this orchid flowers, has 2 spikes. Thanks for your comment
How interesting – sounds like a flesh fly.