Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) |
Bee Orchid and dew |
I've seen a few different types on my nature hunts so I thought it was worth doing a post one them, especially as they are quite colourful on what has been quite a grey day around here.
So, here are the facts:
- The reason that they are called Orchids is because their latin name is Orchidacea. We have changed it to Orchid.
- Now, they are all quite rare but there are so many different types of Orchid in the world. There are 25,000 different types!
Common Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) |
- All of these thousands of Orchid types all have symmetry similar to the human face. If you find an Orchid, it has bilateral symmetry.
- Orchids have been around for millions of years. Scientists have found fossilised orchid pollen on the back of a bee.
- Vanilla is actually a species of Orchid. More specifically, the Flat-leaved Vanilla plant.
And Northern Marsh Orchids (Dactylorhiza purpurella) |
- There are so many species of orchid that the smallest one is only the size of a penny/dime...
- ...On the other side of the spectrum the heaviest one weighs several hundred pounds! That sounds more like a tree!
- Orchids take years to grow. They first flower after about 5 to 7 years after they germinate.
They are really pretty close up |
- There are some Orchids that only actually flower for a couple of hours, but then again, there are some that flower for years.
Here are some links to some more information:
Hope you enjoyed,
Z.
Amazing finds here Zach, these are stunning flowers! - Tasha
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