Orchids are my favourite group of plants. Their beauty is fascinating and although there are many species, none of them is common.
Orchids have been arousing passions for a long time. In the Victorian era, adventurous individuals embarked on orchid hunting trips in Central and South America and Asia, mainly to collect specimens for gardeners and horticulturists in Europe and the US. They often returned home with large numbers of rare species and tales about their dangerous expeditions.
Today, many orchids are legally protected and it is not allowed to collect or export them. Although illegal trade in orchids still exists, modern orchid hunters collect images. They are equipped with cameras, identification books and notebooks and often publish their results in specialist websites. Some restrict their hunting to a particular country or area while others travel far and wide.
Thirty-eight species have been recorded in the Maltese islands. These can be found from the end of December to early June, with most species flowering in March and April.
Over the past two decades the number of recorded species has increased, partly because new species have been found by plant enthusiasts but also because what was considered as one species, the brown orchid, is now considered to form five different species.
These species belong to a group known as the insect orchids. Male insects, especially bees and wasps, are attracted to the flowers which look like female members of the species. They land on them and attempt to mate. While their attempts to mate are unsuccessful, they unknowingly end up with pollen on their back which is then transferred to another orchid of the same species which manages to trick them into landing on it.
Some species of orchids enhance their performance by producing chemicals known as pheromones similar to pheromones used by female insects to attract males.
Finding, photographing and identifying orchids is an interesting and challenging hobby that can give lots of satisfaction.
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