Botanists in Western Australia discovered two new orchid species while out for a walk. At first, they thought that they were seeing color variations of known orchids. But Caladenia lateritica and Caladenia rosea are new to science. Both are fragrant, and both were found south of Perth near Dwellingup. The area is known as a […]
National Geographic reports alarming news about the disappearance of wild orchids. Many species are disappearing from their native habitats because wild plants are being poached. In fact, illegal traffickers are so good at hunting rare orchids that scientists often discover new species for sale in a market before finding them in the wild. Some varieties are […]
An endangered orchid has reappeared for the first time since 1938! The rare species, Liparis hostifolia, is known as shimakumokiriso in Japanese, and is only found on the Ogasawara Islands bordering the tropics, 620 miles (1000 km) south of Tokyo. It hadn’t been seen in decades, but a specimen was found over the summer, and […]
Scientists have published a study in Nature that explains why plant diversity discourages insect pests. Damaging insects love monocultures, large areas planted with a single crop, because they conveniently concentrate nutrients in one place. Diverse plantings have less of what they like, so bugs need to work harder in search of food. As a result, […]
Madagascar is the home of so many fascinating plants and animals, and scientists have discovered even more orchids. Ten new Cynorkis species have been found in a remote area of northern Madagascar, including one with a champagne fragrance. Check out the story and great photos at The English Garden.
Chinese scientists have studied an orchid’s genetics to learn the secrets of its success. They’ve sequenced the genes of the species Apostasia shenzhenica, which is an early offshoot of the orchid family tree. Their study shows that important orchid traits, like massed pollen, tiny seeds, and the ability to live as air plants, emerged at […]
Duck Orchids, Bluebeard Orchids, Helmet Orchids, and more! Victoria, Australia’s weird and wonderful orchids are highlighted in this article with a great photo gallery. To learn more about fascinating flora down under, check out the Australasian Native Orchid Society.
The Orchid Conservation Alliance (OCA) is happy to announce that the Rainforest Trust is doubling donations for the Dracula Orchid Reserve, an important nature sanctuary in Ecuador. Every contribution will be matched, dollar for dollar. The groups’ goal is to purchase 1450 acres (587 hectares) in one of the planet’s most important biodiversity hotspots. This […]
The Million Orchid Project continues to return rare native plants to Florida’s cities. While earlier efforts have focused on Miami-Dade County, volunteers recently attached 250 endangered species to trees, or planted them in the ground, in Boynton Beach, making them the first in Palm Beach County. This ambitious experiment is based on a wildly successful […]
The Ram’s Head Lady Slipper is very rare. Typically, this small orchid species grows in isolated patches with only a few dozen plants. Cypripedium arietinum is native to alvar forests in the northeastern USA, the Great Lakes region, and from Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan. Recently, an Ontario quarry, wanting to expand, hired field ecologist Dan […]
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