Nine Ways to Lure a Lover, Orchid-Style
Beauty, mystery and deceit—the Smithsonian's collection of nearly 8,000 live orchids has it all
- By Megan Gambino
- Smithsonian.com, January 18, 2012
(James Osen)
Hot environments are not exactly conducive to pollinator activity. So African orchids called Aerangis distincta make the most of the cooler night hours. Beginning at dusk, the white orchids, made ever more radiant by the moonlight, emit a powerful fragrance that attracts moths. When a moth lands on or hovers above the orchid’s lip, it sticks its tubular mouthpart, called a proboscis, into the lip and down a long nectar spur that dangles from the blossom.
Only hawk moths with a proboscis of just the right length and curvature can suck up nectar from the bottom of the foot-long drinking tube. This specificity prevents cross-pollination between different orchid species. “Charles Darwin crystallized his theory of evolution after observing a similar orchid, Angraecum sesquipedale,” says Mirenda. “He theorized the existence of a moth with a 12-inch-long tongue, based on the flower’s morphology.”
Comments (4)
IMHO, some orchids are seductively beautiful, like Hollywood movie stars of the glamorous 1940's, and some are weird, like the odd people in Diane Arbus photographs. However, I have a fondness for most of them.
Posted by m.beth han-sen on February 28,2012 | 08:05 AM
Well to me this one looks like a ballet dancer w/ wings. So Mary, I cannot help you. It's kinda like looking at clouds, some see things and others just keep saying where. They grow usually high in the warm canopies of S.America, on the side of trees. Some are air plants, which is why they are so hard to grow, and yet have been around in different varieties for so long.
Posted by Paulette Ward on February 24,2012 | 10:22 PM
@Mary Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It is okay that you feel the way that you do, and I would bet that you are not alone. But, I would encourage you to continue to observe all the species of orchids, wild and greenhouse hybrids. Hopefully one day you will find one that will capture your attention and admiration. What I admire most about orchids is their incredible diversity, their ancient origins, and their ability to capture my imagination.
Posted by Kathy on February 5,2012 | 04:27 PM
I am really glad someone brought up this topic. I know that there are many species but what I don't understand is why so many people like them. I must be the only female that doesn't like them. All of the species that I have looked at just look like a wild weed. I realize that I am strange in this attitude, but I have felt that way since I first encountered them. Does anyone else feel this way?
Posted by Mary on January 30,2012 | 01:25 AM