Gongora scaphephorus  Gongora scaphephorus is an orchid native to northwestern South America that bears up to fifty flowers on its long, pendulous inflorescence. The U.S. Botanic Garden received this plant in 1999 through the CITES Plant Rescue Center program. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) is an agreement among countries of the world to document and regulate international trade in specimens of certain wild animals and plants in order to ensure that uncontrolled trade does not threaten their survival. Occasionally, plants transported across international boundaries without required CITES permits are confiscated by border authorities. These plants are either sent back to authorities in their country of origin or placed into a Plant Rescue Center, which agrees to maintain and care for them in perpetuity. The U.S. Botanic Garden currently houses over 1800 protected plants received through the Plant Rescue Center Program. |
