''Solenangis impraedicta'' is an

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

that was described in early 2024. It was found in central

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

where it is pollinated by hawkmoths. Scientists noted how this orchid has an extremely long

nectar spur A nectar spur is a hollow extension of a part of a flower. The spur may arise from various parts of the flower: the sepals, petals, or hypanthium, and often contain tissues that secrete nectar Nectar, (nectaries). Nectar spurs are present in many ...

, measuring in at about long.

Description

The flowers are 2 cm wide. The spur is 33 cm long.

Taxonomy

It was published by Tariq Stévart, João N. M. Farminhão, Marie Savignac, Simon Verlynde, and Brigitte Ramandimbisoa in 2024.Missouri Botanical Garden. (n.d.-ac). ''Solenangis impraedicta'' Stévart, Farminhão, Savignac, Verlynde & Ramand. Tropicos. Retrieved February 22, 2025, from https://www.tropicos.org/name/100545321

Etymology

The specific epithet ''impraedicta'' means unpredicted.

Ecology

Pollination

It is likely pollinated by hawk moths.Lingenhöhl, D. (2024, March 15). Unerwartete Orchidee mit rekordverdächtigen Ausmaßen. Spektrum Der Wissenschaft. https://www.spektrum.de/news/botanik-unerwartete-orchidee-mit-rekordverdaechtigen-ausmassen/2211172 The most likely pollinator species are ''Xanthopan praedicta'' and '' Coelonia solani''.

Conservation

It is a rare species and may be threatened by mining and the collection of plants from their natural habitat. The exact location of the populations are not disclosed, due to conservation concerns.

References

Angraecinae Flora of Madagascar Plants described in 2024 {{Vandeae-stub