The Disadvantages of Orchid Packaging

Some orchids give off a scent that mimics those of nectar-producing plants, thereby attracting bees to visit. In order for pollen to even attach to a bee's knees, the bee has to land in just the right place on a flower. Nectar attracts them to the proper location but with many orchids there is no nectar. So they use their upper and lower petals as guides, like a helicopter landing pad,. forcing the bee to set down in a very specific spot and bump up against the pollen. One species of orchid closes the second a bee touches it, giving the insect only one way out, directly through the pollen.