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
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(James Osen)
Gimme Shelter
Male euglossine bees collect fragrances from flowers. “The males with the most complex array of fragrances get all the ladies,” says Mirenda. But when the bees land on male Catasetum orchids, they also get a swift wallop on the head. “The flowers basically mug their pollinator by shooting really large pollinia at them when they touch a little trigger switch in the flower,” says Mirenda.
After being whacked, as a reaction, the bees retreat to shelter—in this case, to the Catasetum’s female flowers (above). The helmet-like flowers, found in Central America, actually resemble the nests that the bees build. There, while feeding on nectar, the bees deposit the pollen.
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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