Orchid with the LONGEST-LASTING scent

[JanS]

I know we have a super-post for orchids with a strong scent. I have been specializing in fragrant orchids and have now quite a collection. But as of last month, I want to highlight the following orchid as the all time champion:

Anraecum Lemforde (see attached pic.): I bought it at Housermanns while visiting my mom in Chicago a 1.5 year ago. It's not a genus they grow, as it still had traces of protective material within its leaves from recent shipment - don't know where they got it. As for what I bought, I was totally ignorant other than that it was - as per the label -a very fragrant orchid...

Turns out this orchid has a big place in history...and blessed me with flowering last month (and lasting on and on!!): See the long 8 inch-plus "proboscis-type" light green thing in the photo? That's actually part of the flower - and it contains sweet nectar (I tried it!!). Charles Darwin noticed this orchid on his travels and hypothesized that a unique, specialized insect must exist that has an extremely long proboscis to reach the nectar at he end of the long stalk. While nobody believed him then, he was proven correct in time!!!

But most to note, this plant flowers ... and does NOT give up to find that special moth. Mine has been open for over a month and each evening scents the entire room. Yeah, so far over a month, no loss in intensity. The scent is like (my wife and I fight about this) definitely "waxy" rose and multiperfume (me) vs. hints of cinnamon and rose (my wife Valerie).

Point - the absolutely longest-fragrant orchid I have ever owned or heard about!