The Race to Save the World’s Rarest Orchid
Australian Underground Orchids are among the most mysterious plants. Nothing else flowers underground. Also known as Rhizanthellas, they’re rare, endangered, and very difficult to find. Habitat loss has decimated their numbers, and now climate change may wipe them out completely. They live entirely underground, where they germinate, grow, flower, and set seed. They may be pollinated by termites.
Fortunately, Kingsley Dixon has been fascinated by Rhizanthellas since he was a child. Now that he’s a botany professor at the University of Western Australia in Perth, he’s working to save them. That involves understanding the complex web of plants, fungi, and insects needed by these species to survive. He’s trying to protect remaining habitats, grow seeds in a lab, and maintain backup populations in case the plants go extinct in the wild. With a team of volunteers, he’s hopeful that they can save these astounding orchids.
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