| I'm always surprised to find the pink lady's slipper, or "moccasin flower"
as it is sometimes called, for it seems a little out of place, growing amongst the pines
and oaks, often in very dry locations. The Latin name acaule means "stemless"
and refers to the fact that there is no true stem; the flower stalk arises from between
the two basal leaves. The lip of this mysterious looking flower is pink in colour with
rose veining. A vertical slit on the front of the lip permits insect pollinators, usually
bumblebees, to enter the flower structure. The inward folds of this slit, however, do not
allow the bee to leave by the same route, but force it to crawl upwards towards two exits
located on each side of the top of the lip. It is at this point that pollen picked up from
a previous lady's slipper is rubbed off onto the female part and just as the bee crawls
out of the slipper, a sticky packet of pollen adheres to its back, to be carried off to
the next plant. Orchids have evolved devious ways to ensure cross pollination. |
