#1 – Bulbophyllum nocturnum J.J.Verm., de Vogel, Schuit. & A.Vogel.

In 2008, Ed de Vogel from NCB Naturalis in Leiden, The Netherlands, brought back a small orchid that he had collected on the remote and little explored island of New Britain during one of his expeditions to Papua New Guinea. When cultivated at the Hortus Botanicus, Leiden, the plant readily produced flower buds, but these all seemed to abort just before opening. It was only when the plant was observed during the night that it was discovered this species has flowers opening around 10pm and closing some twelve hours later, and each flower opens only once. This species was described in 2011 as Bulbophyllum nocturnum and may well be called the first night-flowering orchid, although some growers report that another species,Dendrobium amboinense, may open its flowers just after midnight and close them well before noon (although others report that its spectacular flowers open at dawn).

Watch this video of Bubliphyllym nocturnum