Object Details
Description
This medium sized orchid is one of the few Neotropical orchids which uses sexual deception to lure its pollinator. To male bees, M. egertoniana’s flower looks like a female bee. In the process of trying to get to the non-existent female bee, the male bee falls into the flower and struggles to get out. The bee emerges with M. egertoniana’s pollinia stuck to it, and moves on to another “female bee” flower to try again.
Pollination Syndrome
Bee (male), sexual deception
Provenance
From a cultivated plant of known (indirect) wild origin
Accession Number
2014-0987A
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Life Form
Lithophytic
Bloom Characteristics
Erect inflorescence is 6-14" (15-35.5 cm) long with a single pale yellow flower striped in light red. Flowers are 1.5" (4 cm) across.
Plant Size
10-18" x 3-6" (25-46 x 8-15 cm), excluding inflorescence
Range
S Mexico to Guyana and Ecuador
Habitat
Forests; 0-3300ft (0-1000m)
See more items in
Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection
Common Name
Dragon's Mouth Orchid
Egerton's Maxillaria
Egerton's Trigonidium
Group
[vascular plants]
Class
Equisetopsida
Subclass
Magnoliidae
Superorder
Lilianae
Order
Asparagales
Family
Orchidaceae
Subfamily
Epidendroideae
Genus
Maxillaria
Species
egertoniana
Data Source
Smithsonian Gardens
Topic
Orchids
Living Collections
Link to Original Record
Record ID
ofeo-sg_2014-0987A