Australia's sexually deceptive Cryptostylis Tongue Orchids lure pollinators by mimicking the signals of female insects. Male insects are convinced into mating with orchid flowers and they unwittingly collect & distribute the orchid pollinia (see pollination in action via YouTube). Cryptostylis orchids are so persuasive that pollinators ejaculate and waste copious sperm on the flowers
That's a little more information than we really needed.
Gilding the lilly.
ReplyDeleteSperming the orchid.
Not quite the same ring to it.
Sez here that Cryptostylis subulata and its pollinating wasp are "now firmly established in swamps of the Far North". Typical Aussies... invading NZ, and then settling in swamps...
ReplyDeleteI see that the Small Duck Orchid or Paracaleana minor is "An Australian vagrant".
Oh look, yet another Aussie immigrant, this one wearing tongue studs. No pollinator in NZ, so "it does spread vegetatively".
Here at Riddled we are always happy to confirm your anti-Australian stereotypes.
Consider the orchids of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not covered in so much wasp bukkake.
ReplyDeleteLOL!
ReplyDeleteI was led to believe that there is porn on the Internet.
ReplyDeleteAfter being tricked many times, I have learned to deny comely flowers my essence.
ReplyDeleteAt least our dear North American insects aren't used so ruthlessly:
ReplyDeleteUnlike deceptive orchids, U.S. Trillium species provide their pollinators with a nectar reward.
No surprise here.
ReplyDeleteHappens to me all the time...
I was led to believe there is intelligence on the internet.
ReplyDeleteMostly, I find Monty Python references and insanity.
So, I kind of feel at home....
Not only is there intelligence it is designed intelligence!11one
ReplyDeleteFor did not the Supreme Watootsi look upon the poor sad orchids of the forest and say "You should get jiggy with the insecks, this will lead to pollination and the invention of Kleen-wipes"
As a male browser across the Intertubas, I feel perfectly entitled to make fun of wasps that waste their sperm on meretricious images disguised as an available mate.
ReplyDeleteImagine my chagrin when the park ranger explained to me that it only works on insects.
ReplyDeletesee pollination in action via YouTube
ReplyDeleteI looked pollination up and it does not in fact use YouTube at any point in the process.
There was a lot of stigma involved, however.