Orchids are there to give and take, but above all to admire. Of the 35 thousand species of 750 different genera of this plant, there are some of them that are surprising due to their similarity to animals such as primates or birds.
But why does this happen? Chance plays an important role on many occasions, while on others it is an attempt at camouflage or a reproductive strategy for sheer survival. Also, let’s keep in mind that orchids are a family of monocotyledonous plants that are distinguished by the complexity of their flowers, which also increases the possible combinations.
They look like monkeys, ducks, pigeons …
Be that as it may, they constitute a very diverse group of plants, which are minuscule in size, no more than a few millimeters, while at other times they can reach up to ten meters in length. Among them, we find all kinds of shapes, colors, and the like, some of them also with human shapes.
Peristeria elata is a good example. Native to Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama, it is also known as the flower of the Holy Spirit, precisely because the part of the orchids called the lip looks like a beautiful and innocent white dove.
Another popularly known orchid with a name that alludes to its resemblance to a bird is the Flying Duck orchid (Caleana major), whose splendor we can see in the image above. It grows in Australia and its size is not greater than two centimeters but it usually takes the form of a bouquet, that is, forming authentic flocks of ducks that have all the appearance of being flying.
By the way, what do you think of the image that opens the post? Surely you have been surprised by the incredible resemblance of Dracula saulii’s flowers to monkeys, as well as their very friendly appearance. These unlikely flowers were discovered in 2006 in the Peruvian Andes and it looks like they are going to howl or scream at any moment …
