The Cattleya may owe its existence to William Cattley, a British botanist. One story says that in 1818, Cattley saved the orchid from being thrown away and lost forever. At the time, the plant was used as packing material that protected other orchid plants arriving from Brazil.
Another scientist named the orchid Cattleya in honor of William Cattley. But another version of the story says the Cattleya was not the first orchid ever to arrive in England and bloom.
The Cattleya grows in many colors. People often describe the deep color of the Cattleya lip as “showy.” But this part of the flower provides more than beautiful appearance. It serves as a landing area for bees and other insects that spread pollen to the plant. The colors and design of the lip help attract the insects.
The nun’s orchid has an interesting name and shape. Not surprisingly, the flower looks like the head cover worn by some Catholic religious workers. The nun’s orchid came first from China. It reached the United States in the eighteenth century. The flowers can be big, up to almost 13 centimeters across. Some are brown with a lip that looks purple. Other possible color designs include yellows, reds and browns.
The vanilla orchid also has an interesting form. The fruit is inside the seedpods of its thick leaves. The leaves grow on tree trunks. Extract of vanilla provides a spice used in foods. The tiny dark dots in vanilla ice cream are from the seedpods of the vanilla orchid. The plant grows in the rain forests of Mexico. It also is native to Central America, South America, Madagascar and warmer areas of Africa and Asia.
最新
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25