Are Traders and Traffickers Winning the Orchid Battle? Part One
Published 27 Nov 2017, 08:40 GMT, Updated 27 Nov 2017, 11:24 GMT
Eleanthus sp. being pollinated by hummingbirds.
Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic CreativeThis distinctive, fragrant bucket orchid in Panama gives off an intense aroma that attracts pollinating bees. Many people collect orchids not only for their beauty but also their unusual shapes, patterns, and smells.
Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic CreativeThis Eleanore’s Ophrys orchid was photographed in Sardinia, Italy. At least 29,000 species of orchids are found around the world, with more being discovered each year. They’re in demand for food and traditional medicines as well as decoration.
Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic CreativeThis mirror bee orchid was also photographed in Sardinia. Although all species are protected under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, orchids are widely harvested and traded illegally.
Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic CreativeMany orchid species are very vulnerable to being over-harvested. Masdevallia orchids, such as the one pictured here in Panama, are often illegally harvested from the wild for sale to unscrupulous collectors.
Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic CreativeSome orchid collectors are always looking for the rarest, newest, and most unusual species. The Australian nectarless pansy orchid mimics its nutrition-rich neighbour, the pea flower, in order to attract bees and beetles.
Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic CreativeMale wasps follow a pheromone trail to this king spider orchid in Western Australia. Orchids make up a full quarter of the world’s flowering plants, and there are at least four times as many orchid species as mammals.
Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic Creative