163 Ahuza Street, Raanana, ISRAEL -- Telefax: (972) 9 - 7717080
A FLOWER THAT LOOKS LIKE A BEE
The bee orchid, Ophrys apifera, looks very much like a queen bee. Because of this resemblance, male bees (drones) visit the flowers again and again, thus picking up and distributing the orchid's pollen!
The bee orchid requires five to eight years to reach maturity, at which point it flowers once and then dies. Because humans tend to pick their flowers, thinking the plant will survive, the bee orchid is becoming increasingly rare.
There are several other insect mimics in the orchid family. Orchids are among the most highly evolved of plants, and there are more species of orchids (about 25,000) than any other flower group.
Pictures and information about bee orchids:
www.ddgi.es/espais/iabeller.htm
www.the-timeless-dimension.com/p003.htm
arkive.uwe.ac.uk/species/Bee_Orchid/Bee_Orchid.html
CONTACT US:
TELEFAX: (972)-9-7717080
Cellphone: (972)-50-546516
E-Mail us at: [email protected]
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