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Coryanthes speciosa, the bat orchid, is a pseudobulbous epiphytic orchid from the American tropics whose flowers form a bucket that traps and releases bees to carry pollen. It is grown by enthusiasts in warm, humid conditions, typically mounted or in baskets.
Coryanthes speciosa, the bat orchid, is a species of orchid found in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, the Caribbean and Belize.
As noted by the position of the "bucket", liquid drops in from above by a special stem gland. The bucket fills, nectar drinking organisms such as bees are attracted to the sweet drops forming above the bucket. As the bees jostle for position, some bees inadvertently fall into the bucket. The bucket's fluid levels are regulated by a spout that allows overflowing liquid to be released. This is the only escape for the drowning bees. Whilst traveling through the spout, the anther's of the plant produce pollen that then sticks to the escaping bee. Positioned perfectly at the end of the spout lies the stigma that must be crossed by the frantic bee.
Coryanthes alborosea · Coryanthes boyi · Coryanthes gerlachiana · Coryanthes hunteriana · Coryanthes leucocorys · Coryanthes macrantha · Coryanthes macrocorys · Coryanthes maculata · Coryanthes mastersiana · Coryanthes picturata · Coryanthes trifoliata · Coryanthes verrucolineata
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Coryanthes speciosa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
