Geoff Kell (Old Forest Man)
Bee Orchid
I couldn't resist a close-up of this beautiful orchid. I was lucky this year to have a sneaky trip out before work on a morning with perfect conditions. In the days that followed we had heavy rain and the blooms were largely ruined. Evolved to mimic a certain species of bee to aid pollination the blooms take on an exotic feel. The bee in question no longer exists in the UK and the flowers are self pollinating. According to Wikipedia species of bees do contribute to pollination in the Mediteranean area, the flowers emiting a female bee pheromone so attracting male bees along with the visual mimicry. Fascinating stuff....biology lecture over!!
Bee Orchid
I couldn't resist a close-up of this beautiful orchid. I was lucky this year to have a sneaky trip out before work on a morning with perfect conditions. In the days that followed we had heavy rain and the blooms were largely ruined. Evolved to mimic a certain species of bee to aid pollination the blooms take on an exotic feel. The bee in question no longer exists in the UK and the flowers are self pollinating. According to Wikipedia species of bees do contribute to pollination in the Mediteranean area, the flowers emiting a female bee pheromone so attracting male bees along with the visual mimicry. Fascinating stuff....biology lecture over!!