Penn State biologists have determined that orchids evolved the ability to grow on other plants at least 14 times. They studied the genetics of 610 orchid species, representing all five orchid subfamilies. Over two-thirds of orchids are epiphytes, or air plants. They’re not parasites, but grow attached to tree trunks and branches. This gives them […]
In this age of habitat destruction, poaching of wild plants, climate change, and pollution, extinction is tragically frequent. However, it can be difficult to know if a species has actually disappeared. For example, nobody has seen the small white flowers of the Everglades Orchid, Govenia floridana, since 1964. Vida Svahnström is an orchid scientist and […]
Vanilla is a very delicious orchid, and the most important orchid crop. The Crop Trust, a non-profit group which works to safeguard crop diversity, wants to protect vanilla. Native to Central and South America, it was cultivated for millennia by Mayans and Aztecs. Nowadays, most beans come from Madagascar, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, India, and […]
The Guardian reports on the New York Botanical Garden’s (NYBG) latest big exhibition, and also its efforts to rescue endangered orchids. Behind the scenes, there are orchids salvaged from the illegal plant trade. When stolen species are confiscated by customs officials, they are sent to botanical gardens like NYBG to be saved. The plants are […]
Nestled in the towering Himalayas between India and China, Nepal is an orchid hotspot. Sadly, its orchids are declining. Even though Nepal is only slightly bigger than Arkansas, it’s home to about 500 orchid species (for comparison, the USA and Canada combined have about 200 species.) People collect wild orchids to sell for use in […]
Massey University student Hayden Jones and Botany Curator Carlos Lehnebach are launching a citizen-science project to solve an orchid mystery. Maikuku, also known as the White Sun Orchid or Thelymitra longifolia, is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most common orchids. Although it was scientifically discovered 250 years ago, botanists wonder if its beautiful white blooms […]
Down under in Tasmania, it’s spring. The blooms in the island’s forests include orchids and carnivorous plants. Over 200 orchid species are native to Tasmania, many found nowhere else. Bird Orchids, or Chiloglottis, resemble baby birds with mouths open, begging for food. Caladenia and Greenhood orchids also abound. While some orchid varieties provide nectar rewards, […]
A newly discovered orchid has been named for Sir David Attenborough. Lepanthes attenboroughii from Peru joins the list of living things named in honor of the famed British biologist, author, broadcaster, and environmentalist. Lots of species already bear his name, including a butterfly, gecko, snail, pitcher plant, and even a dinosaur. I believe that this […]
Dogs are helping orchids. The North American Orchid Conservation Center has two projects where dogs are working to save endangered species (the article is in the middle of their newsletter.) With their keen sense of smell, specially trained hounds have learned to identify the orchids from dried specimens. They can locate wild plants when they’re […]
India is home to over 1,250 native orchid species. As is the case in many countries, those orchids are threatened by overharvesting of wild plants. To improve enforcement of India’s laws, a new poster has been created by the World Wildlife Fund and TRAFFIC, a registered UK charity which works to stop illegal wildlife trade. […]
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