Posoqueria longiflora

Posoqueria longiflora (common name needle flower) is a shrub to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) height in the family Rubiaceae found in rainforests of northern South America. It is most noteworthy for its tubular, pure white, flowers which can be up to 32 cm (13 in) in length while not over 2 mm diameter, a 160 fold ratio of length to width, the greatest such ratio found among dry land (non-aquatic) plants. It is pollinated by a sphinx moth, possibly Amphimoea walkeri (Sphingidae) which has a 28 cm (11 in) tongue or proboscis.

When a sphinx moth inserts its proboscis into the flower, it touches a trigger mechanism which causes the four lateral stamens (two pairs) to move away from the center, while the middle stamen lunges forward like a catapult coating the lower surface of the moth with pollen to pollinate the stigma of the next flower visited. The role of the lateral stamens remains unclear.