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Sneaky Orchids

How do you spread your genes around when you’re stuck in one place? By tricking animals, including us, into falling in love.

/2009/09/orchids/img/20-contact-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-20.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Bulbophyllum mastersianum; Pheladenia deformis; Masdevallia coccinea; Trigonidium egertonianum; Regalia (Masdevallia) princeps; Caladenia (Leptoceras) menziesii Second row, left to right: orchids Crocker Range Collection; Pterostylis sp.; Gongora quinquenervis, Anti-pollinator: a crab spider is lurking on a flower of Gongora, hoping to catch a bee or other insect; Bulbophyllum blumei; Lepanthes antilocapra; Lockhartia amoena Third row, left to right: studio portrait of a crab spider orchid; Aspasia epidendroides; Chiloglottis sp. a sexually deceptive species.; Pterostylis sp.; orchids tenom agricultural centre; Calanthe pulchra]]> /2009/09/orchids/img/01-sardinia-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-01.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Ophrys speculum]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256018 /2009/09/orchids/img/02-pollen-bee-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-02.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Ophrys eleonorae x O. lupercalis; Andrena sp. (bee)]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256019 /2009/09/orchids/img/03-sardinian-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-03.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Orchis papilionacea]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256017 /2009/09/orchids/img/04-pansy-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-04.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Diuris magnifica]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256031 /2009/09/orchids/img/05-countless-pansy-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-05.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Diuris magnifica]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256022 /2009/09/orchids/img/06-spider-orchids-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-06.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Caladenia pectinata; thynnid wasp]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256023 /2009/09/orchids/img/07-deception-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-07.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Caladenia sp.; Drosera menziesii (sundew)]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256033 /2009/09/orchids/img/08-flying-duck-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-08.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Paracaleana sp.]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256032 /2009/09/orchids/img/09-rabbit-shaped-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-09.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Liparis sp.]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256016 /2009/09/orchids/img/10-catasetum-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-10.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Catasetum orchids conceal a pollen-loaded slingshot, which fires its sticky bundle when a prospective pollinator jostles the trigger. Bees are prime targets. Catasetum viridiflavum]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256015 /2009/09/orchids/img/11-gongora-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-11.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Gongora orchid is the personal perfumer of male euglossine bees. Here two of them prepare to harvest Gongora's scent, which they'll blend with others gathered elsewhere into a sort of cologne to attract females. But the Central American plant charges a price for its love potion: Bees must carry forth its pollen. If the orchid is lucky, the load will reach the right flower. Gongora powellii; Euglossa deceptrix (bees)]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256027 /2009/09/orchids/img/12-bucket-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-12.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Coryanthes panamensis]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256026 /2009/09/orchids/img/13-trapped-bee-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-13.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Coryanthes panamensis; Euglossini sp. (bee)]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256024 /2009/09/orchids/img/14-moss-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-14.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Prosthechea prismatocarpa bows from a moss-encrusted rock beside a mountain stream in Panama. So far little is known of its pollination strategies. Orchid researchers face a constant scramble to keep up with their subject: Each year hundreds of new species are found in the wild. Prosthechea prismatocarpa]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256030 /2009/09/orchids/img/15-hummingbird-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-15.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Elleanthus sp.; Eugenes fulgens (hummingbird)]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256020 /2009/09/orchids/img/16-imitation-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-16.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Epidendrum in Panama imitates milkweed, a favored food. More ruses come to light among the 500-odd new wild orchid species discovered yearly. Epidendrum radicans; Heliconius melpomene thelxiope (butterfly)]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256025 /2009/09/orchids/img/17-rotten-aroma-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-17.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Masdevallia orchid's rotten aroma is irresistible to a fly. Regalia (Masdevallia) princeps; likely Acalyptratae sp. (fly)]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256021 /2009/09/orchids/img/18-pollen-sack-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-18.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Masdevallia orchid. Flourishing throughout Central America, the plant emits a fetid fragrance, and the gruesome mirage of decomposing flesh is reinforced by bloody color and pulpy texture. Masdevallia calura; Drosophila sp. (fly)]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256028 /2009/09/orchids/img/19-lilliputian-714.jpg /2009/09/orchids/img/orchids-60-19.jpg Photograph by Christian Ziegler Lepanthes genus practice an elaborate deception, first using scent plumes to lure male fungus gnats. Then the insects mistake the tiny petals for a female gnat's anatomy, and may deposit spermatophores even as they take on the plant's pollen. "This is pseudocopulation," says Smithsonian orchid specialist Tom Mirenda, "that even Darwin never dreamed of." Lepanthes sp.]]> http://national-geographic.cafepress.com/art/s_1256029