Night-spiral Flower · Spiranthella nocturna

A succulent perennial about 12–18 cm tall. Thick grey-green sword-shaped leaves form a radial rosette. The white flowers open only at night; at dawn the petals coil back into a spiral and shrink like a small shell.

Moving Image

Vertical, as filmed / tap to play

Film coming soon

MOTION CLIP

It opens only at night and coils into a spiral by morning.

This footage was made vertical (9:16) and is also published on social media. The archive keeps it in its original ratio.

9:16 VERTICALCLIPSOUND ON

Specimen Plates

8 plates · click to play

PLATE I

PLATE II

PLATE III

PLATE IV

PLATE V

PLATE VI

PLATE VII

PLATE VIII

Field Note

Habitat

The Tsingy limestone karst of Madagascar. It roots only in the gaps of razor-sharp grey limestone.

Local name

Spiral of the Night

Folklore

Locally it is said that the more tightly the flower coils by morning, the longer the dry season will last.

Locator

Coordinates

18.7°S 44.8°E

The Tsingy limestone karst of Madagascar

Record

Narration

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It opens only at night and coils into a spiral by morning.

It can be seen for only a few hours of the night.

The razor-like limestone plateau of Madagascar.

In the gaps of sharp grey rock, the Night-spiral Flower takes root.

Thick grey-green sword-like leaves form a radial rosette.

In time, a white flower opens quietly at its centre.

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Classification

Classification & specimen data

Scientific name

Spiranthella nocturna N. Drei, 2010

Taxonomy

Plantae › Angiosperms › Dicotyledons › Spiranthellales › Spiranthellaceae › Spiranthella › nocturna

Voucher

AVF-009 · Holotype
Archive of Vanished Flora (AVF)

Conservation

✝ EX — Extinct Last seen 2013

Collector

Y. Aoki
2009-10-10

Synonym

Spiropsis nocturna M. Castellan, 2007

Protologue (Latin)

Planta humilis, caule brevissimo, petalis albidis nitentibus, in loco aperto crescens. Typus: The Tsingy limestone karst of Madagascar. Species iam extincta.

Discovered / Described

2009 / 2010

Height

12〜18cm

Life form

Rosette perennial

Phyllotaxy

Basal (rosette)

Chromosome

2n = 32

Flowering

A few hours around dawn