Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: Bearded bulbophyllum

Family: Orchidaceae (Orchid)

Distribution: West to Central Africa

Habitat: Epiphyte on mossy tree trunks and in crowns of trees in evergreen and deciduous forests, warm to cool growing at elevations of up to 900 to 2300 meters

IUCN Red list: Not evaluated

Life form: Epiphytic

Comments: Plants are found on tree trunks and crowns in the evergreen and deciduous forests of central west Africa at elevations up to 900 meters. Some Bulbophyllum species, like this one, have a tufted lip appendage which has a pollination function. As it moves in the wind, it possibly mimics the movements of the flower's pollinator, the fly, and consequently attracts other flies. Furthermore, the lip will move down as a fly lands on it, but as it moves closer to the center of the flower and over the balance point, the lip will return to its original position, pushing the fly against the column where it will pick up the pollinarium and carry it to the next flower it visits.