Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) - 2/2
Specialised pollination mechanisms are found in many of our orchids. In the majority of species, there is single anther, showing considerable modification, which contains pollen aggregated into pollen masses known as ‘pollinia’.
In Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) there are two pollinia - one from each pollen sac - and these have minute stalks attached to sticky discs. Butterflies are the main pollinators. As a visiting butterfly feeds, the pollinia adhere to the proboscis at about a right angle (shown in previous image).
Soon after the pollinia stick to the proboscis, they begin to tilt forwards and are eventually parallel to it (as shown here) - an ideal position to strike the stigma of the next flower visited by the butterfly.
The butterfly shown is about 25 mm across.
Image by John Bebbington FRPS
Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) - 2/2
Specialised pollination mechanisms are found in many of our orchids. In the majority of species, there is single anther, showing considerable modification, which contains pollen aggregated into pollen masses known as ‘pollinia’.
In Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) there are two pollinia - one from each pollen sac - and these have minute stalks attached to sticky discs. Butterflies are the main pollinators. As a visiting butterfly feeds, the pollinia adhere to the proboscis at about a right angle (shown in previous image).
Soon after the pollinia stick to the proboscis, they begin to tilt forwards and are eventually parallel to it (as shown here) - an ideal position to strike the stigma of the next flower visited by the butterfly.
The butterfly shown is about 25 mm across.
Image by John Bebbington FRPS