Image: Bearded Grass Pink Orchid (5433321237)
Description: The wild Bearded Grass Pink Orchids (Calopogon barbatus) have already started blooming! This one was found along the Florida Trail in Martin County on a windy Wednesday morning. These terrestrial orchids fool pollinators into landing on the bright yellow bristles on the lip, which look like anthers. When a bumblebee lands looking for a treat, the hinged lip falls, dropping the bee onto the column where the real pollen is placed on it's back and any pollen already on the bumblebee will end up on the stigma. The flowers are upside down with the lip at the top. It is also called the "Early Grass Pink" as it is one of the first orchids to bloom (February 9th for this one).
Title: Bearded Grass Pink Orchid (5433321237)
Credit: Bearded Grass Pink Orchid Uploaded by Jacopo Werther
Author: Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth!
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
License: CC BY-SA 2.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
Attribution Required?: Yes
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