Every year when winter arrives, many flowers begin to enter a long dormant period. But there are also some flowers that bloom beautifully in winter, and crab claw orchid is one of them. The crab claw orchid has a peculiar shape, its stem nodes are long and overhanging, and it is often made into "spider plant", which becomes a bright color in winter.
Although the crab claw orchid has orchid in its name, it is a cactus plant. In China, crab claw orchid is also known as crab claw lotus, icing on the cake, etc.
These names go well with the shape of the crab claw orchid: the leaf-like stem of the crab claw orchid is flat and knobby, bright green, and has a little purple tinge when it is young. The new stems are red, and one by one they stretch out in all directions, forming a multitude of branches. The junction of the stem nodes is shaped like a crab's claw, with a small serrated "fang" on it. There are also some fluffy spines between the two small "fangs", much like the small hairs on the claws of crabs.
In the crab claw orchid, the obvious characteristics of the cactus family can be seen. The calyx and petals of the crab claw orchid are indistinguishable and are almost the same color. In the process of long-term adaptation and evolution, the choice made by the crab claw orchid for species reproduction is also full of wisdom. For example, the stamens of the crab claw orchid are born in the throat of the flower, and the pistils protrude far beyond the stamens. In fact, it is a unique growth structure of cacti plants in order to avoid self-pollination. In addition, crab claw orchid has more seeds and fleshy berries.
At present, more than 200 cultivars have been selected and bred, and the flower colors mainly include light purple, yellow, bright red, pure white, pink, orange and bicolor.
In the large family of cacti, there is also a "close relative" of the crab claw orchid - cactus finger. Many people tend to confuse the two. In fact, there are a few characteristics that can distinguish between the two. From the stem, there are crab spines on the stem of the crab claw orchid, but there are no cactus fingers, and the stem edge of the crab claw orchid has sharp teeth, while the stem edge of the cactus finger is wavy, no sharp teeth, only spines.
In addition to its beautiful appearance, crab claw orchid is also a kind of Chinese medicinal material. According to the records of "Flora of Guangzhou", crab claw orchid has the effect of detoxification and swelling, and is mainly used to treat sores, ulcers, mumps, etc.
Source: Learning Power Yunnan Learning Platform