The elegant stems of a comet orchid, Angraecum eburnuem, light up the central Palm House of the tropical rain forests display. The flowers comprise a white standard of two petals fused to make a curly bracket outline. They are attractively blotched pea-green at the base.
Three green, rolled petals splay below and a long spur projects from the back of the lip (the central, modified petal that often acts as a landing platform for the pollinating insect).
There is nectar at the base of the spur, which can be reached only by an insect with an appropriately long proboscis. The flowers emit a rich scent at night.
The comet orchid is grouped with several other spectacular orchids.