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Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance

author:Mu Mu looks at plants

She used to be high and beautiful in the clouds, but now she has long entered the homes of ordinary people, which is commonplace. Despite this, she still maintains her peerless appearance, which looks so extraordinary in the crowd, both lively and refreshing, and elegant and dignified. Phalaenopsis, you can't refuse at a glance.

Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance

It is because of this that I have been able to observe and study her up close, so that I can be willing to disassemble a small flower and see the wonderful world under her beautiful appearance before she shows that her wonderful figure is about to return to dust.

Phalaenopsis, a perennial herbaceous plant in the orchid family, has a short stem and is often covered by leaf sheaths; The leaves are slightly fleshy, green above, purple on the back, oval or oblong, sharply pointed or blunt at the apex, with a short, broad sheath; Flower colors include pink, purple red, orange red, red, white, purple blue and other colors; The petals are rhomboid and rounded at the apex, narrowed at the base and short claws, with reticulated veins. The inflorescence of Phalaenopsis is born laterally at the base of the stem, with a green peduncle and several scaly sheaths; The inflorescence axis is purplish-green, more or less folded, often with several flowers opening one by one from the base to the apex.

Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance

Phalaenopsis originally means "butterfly-like orchid" in Greek, and the flower is named like a butterfly flying. Phalaenopsis has a unique cultural symbol, people refer to it as a "very beautiful princess", symbolizing the freshness and beauty of a woman.

Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance

Having said all this, I can't wait, come and disassemble a small flower and take a look!

On closer inspection, there are 6 tepals of Phalaenopsis orchids, arranged in 2 rounds. The outer wheel is sepals, 3, petalized, similar in size and coloration to the petals. Among them, the upper one is called the middle sepal (or upper sepal, posterior sepal), and the two sides are called lateral sepals (or lower sepals); The inner wheel is a petal, 3 pieces, 1 on each side, called wing flaps (or side lobes), and the lower one is specialized as a lip flap, also called "tongue", which is the essence of the entire flower and is the part with the highest appearance. The middle one is very scary-looking—like a little ghost's head, and its stamens.

Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance
Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance
Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance

We often think that Phalaenopsis blooms strangely, mainly because of its special lip petals and a unique patent in the plant world, the stamens column.

Let's focus on its lip flap first. Phalaenopsis has 3 lobes, two of which are erect and inverted ovate; The middle lobe is slightly larger and relatively flattened – which is conducive to media insect landing, as Phalaenopsis flowers are mostly vertical , and there is no place for visiting insects , with a tapering apex and 2 slender tendrils.

Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance

If you look at a few more flowers, you will notice the diversity of Phalaenopsis lip petals, some with tendrils, others specialized in large tongue-like lip flaps without tendrils.

Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance

There is a yellow papilla at the intersection between the lobes on both sides and at the base of the middle lobe, with a groove in the middle. I think it must have been as bright as the bright colors and markings on the surrounding petals, all to lure insects, and at the same time hypocritically provide a tarmac for media insects to guide pollinators under the synthmetic column to help it pollinate. This is the usual trick of orchids.

Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance

Let's look at the stamens. The stamens, also known as the zygomatic column, is formed by the fusion of pistils and stamens, and is an organ unique to orchids. The stamens has 1 stamens at the top, 2 chambers, and is covered by a medicine cap (also called a stamen's cap). The ghost-like thing in the middle is its stamen, which has a pointed nose that looks like an owl's beak, which is its pistils and beak.

Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance

Using the end of a paper clip to pull down from the top of this small nose (i.e., the cap or medicine cap), it easily falls off, revealing two small yellow balls, like a pair of shining eyes, which are pollen lumps from its sessile anthers. At this time, you will see that the "forehead" and "cheeks" of the pillar are like "rouge", and the three small purple-red dots are beautiful.

Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance

Below the small yellow ball is a white pollen block stalk, and the base of the stem is a sticky disc, which is extremely sticky, and can unconsciously stick the pollen block to those lured insects. Remove the small yellow ball and its handle, it can stick to the table and stand up, and it is difficult to remove. The little yellow ball is also extremely hard, like a grain, and it can't be squeezed with a fingernail! After I cut it with a sharp knife, there seemed to be something white inside.

Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance
Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance

After removing the small yellow ball, two "big long teeth" were exposed at the back, just like the fangs of a ghost, and under the tusks was a pool of gelatinous things, cut with a knife, and the inside was substantial. Below it there is a "very deep" small pool with sticky juice, which is actually the stigma of its pistil, called the stigma or medicinal cavity, above which the tongue-like beak is located. The beak can also secrete a large amount of mucus, which, like the mucus in the medicine cavity, is both a bait for insects and a gentle trap, which can easily intercept the pollen blocks carried by insects that are misled to feed into the medicine cavity to help the pistils be pollinated, thus completing the mission of inheritance. At the same time, it can also avoid self-pollination, increasing the chance of survival of offspring.

Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance
Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance

This is the most complex flower I have ever seen, so many complex structures fit perfectly, under the beautiful exterior there is such a wonderful world, she is beautiful from the outside to the inside, she is worthy of the reputation of "Queen Yanglan", she is a carrier pigeon that transmits friendship, love, and even family affection, and with her happiness will fly to you!

Dismantling a Phalaenopsis orchid is beautiful from the outside to the inside, and it is impossible to refuse at a glance

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