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 […]
In Defense of Plants has a great podcast about orchid diversity with Dr. Tatiana Arias, who is a botanist at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida. Arias is trying to understand why orchids are so diverse, and what drives their evolution. Orchids boast incredible variety among 30,000 species worldwide. She’s particularly interested in her […]
In Turkey, Greece, and parts of the Middle East, salep is a beloved food. For thousands of years, the roots of local orchids have been used to make salep, which is turned into hot drinks, and also a type of thick ice cream. Almost two centuries ago, novelist Jane Austen described the delicious appeal of […]
Like many orchids, the Long Spurred Angraecum faces an uncertain future. Angraecum longicalcar is one of Madagascar’s beautiful, fascinating, and highly endangered orchids. Climate change, habitat destruction, and poaching of wild plants are terrible threats. In addition, its pollinator may be extinct. While many plants use lots of different pollinators, orchids often specialize for a […]
Florida’s rare and fascinating Ghost Orchid features in a best-selling book and an Oscar-winning movie starring Meryl Streep and Nicolas Cage. But somehow it’s still not listed as an official endangered species in the USA. A lawsuit by three conservation groups aims to fix that. George Gann, executive director of the Institute for Regional Conservation, […]
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