Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: Eye-spot Stanhopea

Family: Orchidaceae (Orchid)

Distribution: The species is native to Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua

Habitat: It lives on the trees of the humid forests or on rocky crags

IUCN Red list: Not evaluated

Life form: Epiphytic

Comments: There is a considerable amount of variation in colour and quantity of spots on the petals and sepals with most having ring-shaped red to purple coloured spots.
Interesting pollination:
The Stanhopea oculata has a unique structure designed for its orchid bee pollinator. The
column contains the pollen cap, and arches over the horns. The column is the organ where the
female reproductive organs are contained. The labellum, or lip, contains the column and horns,
creating a tight space. The tight space between the column and horns allows the orchid bee to be
positioned so that the pollen cap is removed, and the pollen is deposited on the back of the bee.
This action also allows access to the stigma, which is inside the column, to allow pollination to
occur by the next orchid bee carrying the pollen.
The Stanhopea oculata flower, on the other hand, is pollinated by orchid
bees, which have long, sucking proboscises. Orchid bees are able to reach their long tongues
deep into the long column where the reproductive structures are located. This distinct
arrangement of the reproductive structures allows the Stanhopea oculata flower to be pollinated
by only orchid bees.