Save one of our Madagascar orchids for £1,000

Orchids are found in almost every habitat in Madagascar, from the coast to the highest mountain summits and from the rainforest to the spiny forest. The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership is aiming to conserve 70% of Madagascar's threatened orchids, as part of Madagascar's contribution to the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation targets. We are developing new techniques to enable collecting, as well as developing living collections of the most critically endangered species.

Orchids are the largest family of flowering plants on the island with over 1,000 species already described by science and an estimated 200 species still to be discovered and formally named.

In return for saving a plant species outright for £1,000, you'll receive a personalised certificate and photograph of your orchid species and be invited on an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Millennium Seed Bank located at Wakehurst, West Sussex.

Choose your species and order online, or contact us on adoptaseed@kew.org, or phone Jill Taylor on 0208 332 3248 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm).

Acampe pachyglossa

Acampe pachyglossa is the only species of Acampe growing outside of Asia. In Madagascar, it can be found in a wide variety of habitats including seasonally dry forest, woodland and  scrub, on tamarind trees in tropical forests, on mangroves and coastal cliffs.

It is an epiphyte with stout, leafy stems and boot-lace like branching aerial roots. The fleshy, cup shaped flowers form in clusters throughout the year, with petals greenish cream, with crimson or reddish brown stripes and spots.

This plants local name is Kisatrasatra.

Adopt this species for £1,000, for yourself or as a gift.

Aerangis citrata

These are usually epiphytes and can be found growing on twigs or small trees in humid, evergreen forests from coast to plateau throughout eastern Madagascar.

The flowers vary from white through to cream and appear from August to May. There can be between 15-60 flowers on each inflorescence, up to 30 cm long.

This plants local name is Manta.

Adopt this species for £1,000, for yourself or as a gift.

Aerangis spiculata

Found growing in the humid, lowland, evergreen forests in the north of Madagascar, these are usually epiphytes in the form of an inflorescence pendant between 30-75cm.

The flowers are white tinged with pink on both the tips and spur and appear in March.

The genus Aerangis has about 50 species in tropical and South Africa, with 21 species in Madagascar.

Adopt this species for £1,000, for yourself or as a gift.

Angraecum protensum

Found growing on quartz outcrops at between 1600–2000 m, this erect lithophyte grows up to 35 cm tall.

It has linear, greyish-brown leaves and large white flowers which appear between January and March.

It's found within the Itremo massif, an area that Kew is helping protect.

Adopt this species for £1,000, for yourself or as a gift.

Cynorkis uniflora

This orchid can be found growing in grasslands, rocky outcrops and inselbergs, and can grow up to 20cm tall.

It has long, lance shaped green leaves with brownish-red spots towards the base. The large, purple, four lobed flowers have two paler spots on the disk, and appear between December and March.

The are about 120 Cynorkis in the genus, with 97, mostly endemic, found in Madagascar.

Adopt this species for £1,000, for yourself or as a gift.

Eulophia beravensis

Found growing at sea level in deciduous woodland, on sand and dunes, the Eulophia beravensis are formed of long, leathery, linear leaves and branched inflorescence.

The plant grows up to 90 cm high, with small white flowers with red-veins, which appear in April.

The genus is one of the most diverse in tropical and southern Africa, Madagascar and tropical Asia, with over 230 species.

Adopt this species for £1,000, for yourself or as a gift.

Eulophia plantaginea

Found growing in grassland, by ditches in arable land and in marshes, these are formed of long, lance-shaped leaves and unbranched flowers with yellowish green sepals, pure white petals and a white lip whilst the spur and disk are tainted with violet-red.

This orchid flowers between January and March and can grow between 30-100cm tall.

Local names for this plant are Tenondahy, Tongolobato and Ovinakanga.

Adopt this species for £1,000, for yourself or as a gift.

Jumellea ibityana

Found growing in rocky quartzite outcrops at between 2000–2100 m, this is an erect, rigid lithophyte and grows between 15-30 cm tall.

It has long, leathery leaves and small white flowers which appear between February and March.

A genus of about 41 species in Madagascar, and nearby islands of Comores and Mascarenes, with two species in tropical Africa.

Adopt this species for £1,000, for yourself or as a gift.

Oeceoclades calcarata

This is a large plant, growing up to 1.5m and can be found in highland rocks and semi-deciduous western forests.

The flowers are small and green with faint purple veins on the lip and a white callus, whilst the sepals are spatula shaped and almost twice as long as the petals.

Flowers appear between November and April.

Adopt this species for £1,000, for yourself or as a gift.

Oeonia rosea

The Oeonia is a genus endemic to Madagascar and the Mascarenes and consist of only five species.

O. rosea is an epiphyte and can be found growing in humid, mossy, evergreen forests on branches between 500-2000 m high.

The flowers are white with a red throat and appear between September and May.

Adopt this species for £1,000, for yourself or as a gift.

Paralophia epiphytica

The Paralophia is a genus endemic to Madagascar and consist of only two species (the other being P. palmicola)

As the name suggests, Paralophia epiphytica is an epiphyte, found on trees, climbing amongst leaf bases on the trunks of palm trees.

Paralophia are formed of long, creeping rhizomes, trailing stems and pleated leaves.

The flowers are white with three purple-marked callus ridges surrounded by yellow green petals and appear between December and February.

Adopt this species for £1,000, for yourself or as a gift.

Sobennikoffia humbertiana

The Sobennikoffia is a genus endemic to Madagascar and consist of only three species.

S. humbertiana can be found growing in evergreen forests on plateau and dry, deciduous scrubland and is a lithophyte (a plant growing upon stones and rocks).

The flowers are white with a green mark in the throat of the spur, have a prominent 3-lobed lip and upcurved spur. They appear between October and November.

Adopt this species for £1,000, for yourself or as a gift. 

Vanilla perrieri

V. perrieri is one of seven species of the genus Vanilla growing in Madagascar; in total there are over 100 species in the genus - V. planifolia is the species which commercial vanilla is sourced from and is also found on Madagascar.

Found in seasonally dry, deciduous woods on sandy soils at approximately 200 m.

The large, bright yellow flowers have an orange throat and appear in October, January and February.

Adopt this species for £1,000, for yourself or as a gift.