I don't have another example but Orchids (my new addiction ;o) have me completely confused. How have they ever managed to be a product of evolution. The most bizare thing that I find about them is that many genera such as Paphideliums (sp?) will only produce a single flower per growth. How can you justify having to build a whole plant (as in manufacturing) for just a single bloom?
RE: Interesting plant reproduction discussion on Native Plant for
im sorry, i dont have the details anymore, they are lost in history that is my mind. but the most interesting story that i remember is this white moth orchid of maybe australian decent. this had a spur of 12+ inches yet no insect was found to have that long of a tounge. Darwin said, keep looking!! years after his death, sure enough. a (night?) moth with a 14" inch tounge was found.
reinforces the evolutionary theory of 1 - 1 evolution quite well.
Olbrich botanical gardens in Madison WI had that orchid and that was the second time i heard the story, first time being in botany school. certainly someone here can give the name and maybe even a link?
froggy
RE: Interesting plant reproduction discussion on Native Plant for
I didn't even consider the incredibly complex flower shapes of the orchids and how some either mimic animal/insect shapes or that some require up to 10 years to mature. Which would make it more suceptible to extinction. I was just thinking of the need to grow a whole plant each time it needs to make a single flower. Once the flower is done, it will not flower again. I would understand if that would increase the success of the seeds germinating and maturing but orchids seeds have notoriously low germination rate (if I'm to believe what I've read so far ie need for in vitro).
RE: Interesting plant reproduction discussion on Native Plant for
allotrope, the majority of Paphiopedilum species have several flowers to a stem, the single flower is more to do with selection by hybridisers than nature, and even then a well grown mature specimin is likely to have a couple of blooms per stem.
