A species of fungus-eating orchid has an ingenious self-pollinating method. The secret lies in the orchid’s mysterious finger-like appendage. “I knew there had to be more to it than just an ...

When the bee flies off and lands on another orchid it deposits the pollen, allowing the flowers to reproduce. Despite the elaborate deception, bee orchids also engage in self-pollination, transferring ...

Why orchids have evolved sexual mimicry for pollination is open for debate. Plants that are farther away from each other are more likely to be distant relatives, so mimicry may reduce inbreeding.