The Fly Orchid - agent provocateur of the plant world. Its flowers resemble flies, and its scent mimics sexual pheromones. This powerful combination attracts hordes of male insects which attempt to continue their reproduction on a flower, thus ensuring the orchid's pollination. How ingenious is this? Only ten per cent of Fly orchids will successfully trick their unsuspecting pollinators, but each pollinated orchid will produce over 10,000 miniscule seeds, ensuring the survival of this particular species.
Photographed at Park Gate Down nature reserve, Elham Valley, near Canterbury.
@hermann Thank you, until I started looking at orchids on dog walks I had no idea of all the amazing things that are going on right under my feet (or my nose)!
Thanks for the narrative too, very informative..