-
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Orchids2 are among the most successful flowering plants, with more than 22,000 species around the world. And that’s not just because of the obsession3 they inspire in their human fans.
Researchers spent 10 years studying orchids in South Africa, where the flowers are particularly diverse. The scientists say orchids became successful by changing or sharing pollinators, but staying loyal to fungi4. Here’s one example. There are two species of orchids that live very close together in South Africa. One orchid1 deposits its pollen5 on a particular bee’s front legs. The other leaves pollen only on the bee’s abdomen6. The same bee thus serves two different species and keeps the pollen separate.
But when it comes to fungi—which supply the orchid with nutrients7—the flowers are much more faithful. They might switch pollinators if transplanted, but they stick with the same fungus8 species. And one orchid species uses different fungi than a close orchid neighbor, to prevent competing for the same nutrients. The research was published in The American Naturalist9.
The scientists say the findings help explain how so many species of orchids developed, and can exist so close together. The human mania10 for orchids, however, remains11 mysterious.
Thanks for the minute. For Scientific American’s 60-Second Science, I’m Cynthia Graber.
1 orchid | |
n.兰花,淡紫色 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 orchids | |
n.兰花( orchid的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 obsession | |
n.困扰,无法摆脱的思想(或情感) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 fungi | |
n.真菌,霉菌 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 pollen | |
n.[植]花粉 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 abdomen | |
n.腹,下腹(胸部到腿部的部分) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 nutrients | |
n.(食品或化学品)营养物,营养品( nutrient的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 fungus | |
n.真菌,真菌类植物 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 naturalist | |
n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 mania | |
n.疯狂;躁狂症,狂热,癖好 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
参考例句: |
|
|