Random plant event: Aeschynanthus NOID

I bought this NOID Aeschynanthus in early November 2010, because I liked the foliage. I didn't know what species or variety it was, and didn't expect to know anytime soon, either, because from what I read on-line, it looked like I couldn't know until I'd seen flowers. Green flowers meant the species A. longicaulus, and orange flowers meant the hybrid cultivar A. 'Black Pagoda.'


I figured I'd have a long wait, but a few days ago I saw this:


The picture makes it look more yellow-orange than it actually is: most of the tube is olive-green, and the last third (beginning at the bend) is basically brown. It's not remotely a pretty flower, in or out of the photo, but it is definitely different. And more importantly, I now know for sure what I have. It's an Aeschynanthus longicaulis.

And there will be more flowers soon, apparently.
So I decided that I want more Aeschynanthususes.

When I was updating the want list to reflect my desire for more Aeschynanthususes, I did some image googling to see what other varieties out there I need to have, and that's how I discovered A. marmoratus -- which looks exactly like A. longicaulis.



Well, crap, I thought. I'll never be able to figure out which species I have, now.

But, fortunately, I remembered The Plant List, and went over there to check, and it turns out that A. marmoratus is an obsolete synonym for A. longicaulis, so everything's cool and taxonomic certainty was restored. Though I did have to lie down for a little while afterward, to calm down.