蘭花竟有這般顏？

From+orchidsplus.com++申申然

Almost everyone has seen a beautiful orchid at some point in their life， but have you seen orchids that look like animals or human beings？

幾乎人人都曾在生活中的某個時刻見過美麗的蘭花，但你可曾見過形似動物或人類的蘭花？

Monkey Face Orchid 猴面小龍蘭

Location： Southeast Ecuador 生長地區：厄瓜多爾東南部

One of the most popular of these flowers are the orchids that look like monkeys. Monkey Orchids are native to the mountains of Ecuador. They are accustomed to cooler temperatures and enjoy larger amounts of humidity1）. There are over 120 species of Monkey Orchids， all found in this same mountainous region. They display one flower per stem2） that most people agree look like monkeys. These orchids can flower at any time during the year.

長得像猴臉的這種蘭花（猴面小龍蘭）是形似動物的蘭花中最受歡迎的種類之一。這種花原產于厄瓜多爾的群山之中，喜歡較為寒涼和非常濕潤的環境。猴面小龍蘭共有120多個品種，全部都生長在同一山區。這種蘭花一莖只開一花（大多數人都認為其花酷似猴臉），一年四季常開。

White Egret Orchid 白鷺蘭

Location： China， Korea and Russia 分布地區：中國、韓國和俄羅斯

These orchids are one of the most iconic orchids that look like animals， yet one of the most endangered. They grow between 1～8 flowers that can reach a little more than an inch wide. White Egret Orchids are one of the showiest3） flowers on Earth.

White Egret Orchids are extremely easy to grow and are one of the only orchid species that prefer full sun. They need a bog4）-like environment and a dormant5） winter period in order to survive.

這種蘭花是最典型的形似動物的蘭花之一，也是最瀕危的一種。它們每株可開1～8朵花，每朵的直徑可達一英寸（譯注：約2.54厘米）多一點。白鷺蘭是地球上最奪人眼球的花之一。

白鷺蘭極易繁殖，還是絕無僅有的偏愛全日照的蘭花品種之一。它們的生長離不開類似沼澤的環境，為了存活，它們還需要在冬季休眠。

Bee Orchid 蜂蘭

Location： Europe 分布地區：歐洲

This orchid is extremely deceptive in the way it pollinates6） itself. It is designed to look and smell like a female bee， which attracts the male bees to come over and get covered in pollen7）. The bee then moves onto the next fake bee， transferring the pollen. Bee Orchid spikes8） produce 1～12 flowers between April and July. They are plentiful in dry areas of Europe and spread rapidly， but don't always appear every year. In the wild， it has been observed that they tend to bloom one year and then stay dormant for many years before blooming again.

在為自己授粉的方式這方面，這種蘭花極具欺騙性。它們生來就長得像雌蜂，聞著也像，這能吸引雄蜂飛過來并讓雄峰渾身都沾上它們的花粉。雄蜂接下來又飛到下一只“假蜜蜂”那里，把花粉傳了過去。蜂蘭花在4～7月開花，它的每個穗狀花序能開出1～12朵花。它們遍布歐洲的干燥地區，傳播迅速，不過并不是每年都會長出來。據觀察，野生的蜂蘭花往往會在某一年開花之后休眠多年，直至再次開花。

Ballerina Orchid 芭蕾蘭

Location： Western Australia 分布地區：澳大利亞西部

These small plants are terrestrial9） spider orchids that grow singly or in groups in western Australia. The flowers are essentially cream10） in color， with maroon11） markings12）. Together， the flower looks like a maiden in a white tutu13）， holding a graceful ballet pose. The grazing14） of rabbits and kangaroos in the regions where they grow poses great threat to these orchids.

這種陸生蜘蛛蘭屬的植物體型小巧，分布于澳大利亞西部，或單株生長，或成群生長。它們的花基本上呈奶白色，輔以栗色斑紋。整體來看，這種花宛如一個身穿白色芭蕾舞裙、擺著優美芭蕾舞姿的少女。在這種蘭花生長的區域，兔子和袋鼠的啃食對它們構成了極大的威脅。

Dove Orchid 鴿子蘭

Location： Central America 分布地區：中美洲

These orchids grow flowers that look like they have a hand-carved dove sitting in the middle. At first glance， most people see these and think that they are carved into the flower and do not believe they are real. The white flower is produced at the base15） of the plant， with each pseudobulb16） producing 4～12 flowers. Dove Orchids are in great danger of becoming extinct due to poachers17） collecting them and selling them for profit. They are protected under the laws that cover endangered species and are currently the national flower of the Republic of Panama.

這種蘭花開的花看上去宛若有一個手工雕刻的白鴿坐在花朵的中心。大多數人乍一看這種花會以為它們是被雕刻到花上的，不相信它們是真花。這種白色的花生長在這種植物的基部，每個假鱗莖可開出4～12朵花。由于偷采者為謀利而采摘、販賣鴿子蘭，它們目前處于瀕臨滅絕的高危境地。如今鴿子蘭受到了有關瀕危物種法律的保護，并且現在是巴拿馬共和國的國花。

Bird Head Orchid 鳥頭蘭

Location： The Balkans， Greece， and Iran 分布地區：巴爾干半島、希臘和伊朗

The Moth Orchid18） is one of the most common orchids that look like animals. They look like moths in flight， while also looking like a bird head from up close. Many people believe that the bird head is there to protect the nectar19） from certain insects.

這種蝴蝶蘭是最常見的形似動物的蘭花之一。它們遠看像飛蛾，但近看又像鳥頭。許多人認為，鳥頭可以起到保護花蜜不被某些昆蟲吸食的作用。

Flying Duck Orchid 飛鴨蘭

Location： Australia 分布地區：澳大利亞

This is one of the most unique flowers in the world because of the flower it produces. The blossom looks like a duck flying through the air on a green spike. Each spike grows 2～4 flowers and the whole orchid can grow up to 5 inches across. The unique shape attracts insects to pollinate the flower. These flowers are extremely small and not very noticeable when they are growing in the wild.

這種蘭花是世界上最獨特的花之一，獨特之處就在于它們所開的花——其花朵形似一只飛過半空的鴨子，下面襯著綠色的穗狀花序。每個穗狀花序可開2～4朵花，整朵蘭花的直徑可達5英寸（譯注：約12.7厘米）。這一獨特的外形會吸引昆蟲前來授粉。野生飛鴨蘭的花非常小，不太引人注目。

Swaddled20） Babies 襁褓嬰兒蘭

Location： Columbia 分布地區：哥倫比亞

The Angloua Uniflora is a beautiful orchid which is commonly known by the name， Swaddled Babies. The plant grows in the Columbian Andes. The most stunning feature of the plant is its flowers which are large， creamy-white and waxy21）. Their structure is quite complex， and at a certain stage of opening， they start to look like a baby wrapped in swaddling cloth. Each flower blooms from a single stem from the base of the pseudobulbs.

單花安古蘭是一種美麗的蘭花，通常被稱為“襁褓嬰兒蘭”。這種植物生長在哥倫比亞境內的安第斯山脈，最令人驚異之處在于其花朵。這些花朵個頭不小，呈乳白色，表面光滑如蠟。這種花的構造相當復雜，開到一定階段時，它們就會形似一個包裹在襁褓中的嬰兒。每朵花均由假鱗莖基部的一根單莖長出。