Brassia
COMMON NAME | Spider orchid |
TYPE | Orchid |
FAMILY | Orchidaceae |
NOTES | Large
elliptic-oblong pseudobulbs with one or two leaves at the apex, lateral,
unbranched many-flowered inflorescences with small floral bracts and are notable for the characteristic
long and spreading tepals. Brassia has
a very specific method for pollination; it uses entomophily - pollination by
insects - and in this case specifically by female spider-hunter wasps.
Mistaken by the mimicry of Brassia, the wasp stings the lip, while trying to
grasp its prey without any success. By these movements the wasp comes into
contact with the pollinarium, that then sticks to its head. By flying to
another Brassia flower, this flower gets pollinated. |
GEOGRAPHIC REGION | Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean area to Surinam,
Brazil, and Bolivia |
NATIVE
HABITAT | Epiphytic
genus occurs in wet forests from sea level to altitudes under 1500 m |
WEB SOURCES |
