The bizarre naked man orchid
Tired after a long afternoon on Senate, I lack the energy to do a proper blog post so I thought I’d just reblog this. I suppose it follows on from my Anthropic Principle item!
p.s. The word “Orchid” is derived from the Greek word for testicle. I just thought you would like to know that.
Let’s finish the week not with a cat, but a plant. This one, the “naked orchid” or “hanging naked man orchid,” is a real species, Orchis italica.
There’s a reason they aren’t called the “naked hanging woman orchid”:
Don’t ask me the adaptive significance, if any, of this shape. Maybe there’s some insect that has a search image for men?
To see nine more bizarre flowers, many of them orchids, go here.
In the Dark 
November 10, 2015 at 4:45 pm
That etymological remark sounds like bollocks to me
November 10, 2015 at 5:01 pm
It’s actually because of the shape of the root stock…
November 10, 2015 at 5:40 pm
The root has to be the reason, since the man in the petals is wearing a rather sensible, UV-protecting hat.