RHH's photos with the keyword: tripollex

Porroglossum is a genus of miniature orchids all of which have spring-loaded moveable, insect-trapping lips. When the flower is disturbed by a visiting insect, the lip springs up trapping the insect against the column and hopefully effecting pollination. The genus is related to Masdevallia and includes about 50 species. This small plant is Porroglossum tripollex from Ecuador. I have two of these, one with brown "tails" and this with yellow. The flower looks to me like a bird's beak, but tripollex means "three thumbs," a resemblance I do not see. It is cool to cold growing and comes from high altitude montane forests and is very small, the flowers only a half inch long (1.3 cm).. In this photo the lower flower has its insect-trapping lip in the open position, while the upper flower has its lip in the closed position The plant is difficult to photograph with the lips open because the slightest disturbance cause the lips to snap shot. I left the plant sit for several hours where I was photographing it waiting for the lips to spring open again.

Porroglossum tripollex belongs to a unique group of orchids that trap insects. The lip, visible at the bottom of the flower, when disturbed by a small insect swings up and traps the insect against the column of the flower, thus effecting pollination. It must be a rather traumatic event for the insect, but rather ingenious. This species is from Ecuador and the flowers are around a half inch in size. There are more pictures of the flowers with the lip closed at the link below. orchidsinbloom-ron.blogspot.com/2013/04/porroglossum-trip...