Sex and violence, or at least death, are the key to reproduction for the orchid Satyrium pumilum. Research led by Timotheüs van der Niet at the University of KwaZulu-Natal shows that the orchid lures flies into its flowers by mimicking the smell of rotting flesh.
— Read more at Orchid Lures Flies With Scent of Rotting Flesh at Science Daily.
Flies love me in the Summer-Better pay more attention to my hygiene. Or I could just say I smell like a rare orchid.
I’m sure it’s that you smell like a rare orchid 🙂
Why thank you Robin, I try. 🙂
Thanks Robin, that’s very interesting. It reminds me of the seductive plants in the SF novel by Norman Spinrad (Child of Fortune I think) that attracted humans for pollination using a combination of form and pheromones.
Oh, the book sounds interesting!
Kinda surprised that this is considered news, actually. There are many plants, including most carnivorous plants, which lure flies by smelling rotton. Bogs are stinky places, both because of the slowly decaying peat and because of the unusual plants that grow in them! Maybe it’s just that orchids have a more glamourous repuatation than pitcher plants or Venus fly traps?
I do not know enough about this sort of botanical research to say…they claim they “show for the first time that carrion mimicking flowers are highly sophisticated tools for orchids”.
True, but since there are so many orchid accords in fragrance, it is interesting that the beauty of one species is oxymoronic.
I really wonder if there are so many orchid accords…I always assume many of them are fantastical. Maybe they’re real, maybe there are people running all over the jungle taking headspace readings. I have no idea!