In Virginia, orchid biologist Melissa McCormick searches for the Small Whorled Pogonia, Isotria medeoloides. This endangered orchid is native to eastern areas of the USA and Canada. It’s a small plant with green flowers, it resembles other plants, and it can go dormant underground for years. Humans have a difficult time finding it, but for […]
Orchid poachers are one of the biggest threats to orchid survival. Private collectors who take plants from the wild, or who buy wild plants, can wipe out native populations. Social media has worsened the problem, directly connecting poachers and buyers. Viral fads can cause rare varieties to be completely wiped out, and can even jeopardize […]
The Western Prairie Fringed Orchid boasts showy white flowers standing on 2-foot (0.6 m) plants, but it’s not easy to find. Growing among tall prairie grasses, it blends in perfectly. Steve Travers, a biologist at North Dakota State University in Fargo, says “I have a hell of a hard time finding it sometimes. And when […]
Some orchids can be sneaky. Greenhoods, or Pterostylis orchids, have a surprise in store for small flies, gnats, and mosquitoes. These strange flowers have tricky lips. As an insect enters the flower, the hinged lip snaps shut. This briefly imprisons the pollinator inside the bloom. The only escape route is a tight squeeze past the […]
The enormous orchid family grows larger all the time, with new scientific discoveries happening on a regular basis. Still, it’s surprising when a showy species is identified for the first time. Solenangis impraedicta has hidden in Madagascar’s forests, despite a 13 inch (33 cm) nectar spur. Growing from the back of a 3/4 inch (2 […]
British scientists have discovered that some orchids can feed their seedlings. The Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) is a widespread terrestrial in Europe and parts of Asia. Mature plants of this species enlist underground networks of fungi to share sugars with nearby seedlings. Senior study author Katie Field, a biologist at the University of Sheffield, […]
Scientists from the UK, Latin America, Asia, and Australia have assembled the most extensive orchid family tree ever created. It’s part of a new study, which also finds that orchids first evolved about 85 million years ago. That means they shared the earth with dinosaurs for about 20 million years. Contrary to previous works which […]
Vanilla is one of the world’s favorite and costliest flavorings, but many don’t know that it comes from an orchid. Considering this, it’s no surprise that most people aren’t aware of the deeper history of these fragrant, cured seedpods. Vanilla’s roots as a valuable food go back to Mexico’s ancient Totonacs and Aztecs, who harvested […]
Like all living organisms, orchids adapt to survive. An orchid arrived on a remote island, without the bumblebee species which pollinates it. Goodyera henryi lives in parts of east Asia, including the Japanese mainland. When it reached Kozu Island, it might have died out without reproducing. However, Goodyera similis, a closely related species, also lives […]
China is a hotspot of botanical diversity, and that includes orchids. Many have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, but are being threatened by habitat loss and overcollection. Dozens of species of Dendrobiums are among those collected from the wild. The dried plants are added into teas or soups to help a variety […]
You are currently browsing the archives for the In the News category.
