Orchids……orchids….orchids….. Everybody loves orchids. The word ‘orchid’ is derived from the Greek word ‘orchis’ which means testicles, and the name originates from the shape of its’ root tubers. Did you know orchids are considered symbols of love?? During the Victorian era, people were used to giving exotic and rare flowers to show their love and affection. Not only that, orchids are symbols of luxury and wealth.
Every color of the orchid has a different meaning. Blue for rarity, yellow for friendship, white for innocence, beauty, and elegance, lavender for grace, elegance, and feminine beauty, pink for joy, happiness, and innocence, and purple for royalty, admiration, and respect.
Gastrodia agnicellus is a newly discovered orchid species in 2020. Dr. Johan Hermans, a botanist specialized in orchids and an honorary research associate of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, has discovered this new species as belonging to genus Gastrodia in humid evergreen forests in Southeast Madagascar. They called this “the ugliest orchid in the world” as it does not contain beauty like other orchids. It looks like an eyeless, wormlike head with a mouth gaping in a silent scream or to consume your soul. It has already been considered a threatened species. The interesting thing is, Dr. Hermans first noticed this species during a field trip to Madagascar in December 2017, but he was only able to identify this as a type of orchid in 2019 after he revisited the same site. It was mainly due to its very small habitat range and less number of noticeable characters.

Gastrodia agnicellus is a leafless type and contains mottled brown small flowers ( 1.1 cm). Gastrodia is a genus of terrestrial leafless orchids in the family Orchidaceae. Commonly known as potato orchids, it includes over 90 species found in the Old World tropics, mostly in Australasia across to the Pacific islands. It has several species in tropical Africa and Madagascar, and one endemic in the Mascarenes. During their life cycle, the potato orchids remain underground most of the time, emerging only to flower or sometimes just to set fruit. G. agnicellus emerges in August and September only to flower and fruit beneath the leaf humus on the forest floor. It depends on fungi for nutrition because it does not contain any leaves or any other photosynthetic tissue. These species were found under deep shade in humid evergreen forests, at the bases of trees, hidden among flowers, moss, and leaf litter. The flowers of the orchid have a noticeable musky rose-like scent that becomes stronger as the temperature rises. It is unclear how the plant is pollinated. The ants crawling in and out of the flowers to consume the nectar, might possibly become the pollinators. After pollination the stalks grow holding the fruits well above the forest floor so that the dust-like seeds can better disperse.
That is a little bit about the Gastrodia agnicellus which goes unnoticed most of the time. Always remember to look around you carefully. There are a lot of interesting things that are not caught by your eyes at the first sight. If you pay enough attention you will not miss these wonderful things happening around you. Be a lover of nature.

References:
https://www.livescience.com/ugliest-orchid-newfound-species.html
https://www.sciencealert.com/botanists-have-finally-found-it-the-ugliest-orchid-in-the-world
http://www.sci-news.com/biology/gastrodia-agnicellus-09173.html

Image courtesy:
Featured image:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CNO-2RPmy2E/maxresdefault.jpg
Figure1:
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/c4Z3WyTj5jPD79LtEN3iY8-970-80.jpg.webp
Figure2:
http://cdn.sci-news.com/images/enlarge8/image_9173_2e-Gastrodia-agnicellus.jpg