Retreat of Orchids – El Sol de México

family fruit garden(Orchidaceae), covers nearly a thousand genera and more 25 thousand species of plants Non-woody perennials with attractive flowers distributed throughout the world, especially in the humid tropics, they are part of a plant order that also includes the Asparagus and Lily families.

It includes around 10% of all plants Vascular – contains the root, stem, flowers, leaves and a system of conducting vessels – as Daniel Gomez explains, Biological From the Pyrenees Environment Institute of the Spanish Superior Council for Scientific Research (CSIC).

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Gomez points out that orchids extend across all continents and regions of the planet, except for the extreme deserts and coldest latitudes, and their greatest abundance (nearly 90 percent) grows in Tropical and humid regions.

Instead of being rooted in the ground, orchids generally grow on other plants they are associated with, and have an appearance similar to that of an orchid. Reptiles and a spongy root covering called Velamen It absorbs water from the air Surrounding, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

Most species make their own food, but some survive on food. Dead organic matter Or get help from a mushroom Who lives in its roots to nourish itself.

Jamal is in danger

Some orchids smell very sweet. And others for spoiled meatbut they’re all beautiful, wonderful, and addictive, and evolved in wonderful ways for their liking PollinatorsThe American Orchid Society (AOS) in Florida says.

This diverse, numerous and beautiful plant family, which constitutes one of the most advanced branches of plants, with an age of tens of millions of years and amazing nutritional and reproductive adaptation mechanisms, is now in danger, according to a report by the World Health Organization. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kewin it United kingdom.

Until the 45% of all known flowering plant species in the world may be at risk of extinction The Orchidaceae (orchids) family is among the most threatened species, according to the State of the World’s Plants and Fungi 2023 report, from Kew.

“the Floors And the mushroom Sustaining life on Earth and providing value ecosystem services, “Food, medicine, clothing and raw materials,” details Dr Katharina Nargar, a research biologist at the Australian scientific agency CSIRO and lead author of the chapter of the Q report on fruit garden.

The natural world is threatened by the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.Katharina Narjar, biologist

“Science already knows some 350 thousand species of vascular plants (Including trees, shrubs, ferns and flowering plants such as orchids) Now researchers are in Race against time “To name and scientifically evaluate up to 100,000 other species.”

every year Scientists identify and name about 2,500 new plants in the world. According to the CSIRO, three out of every four vascular plants yet to be described are considered to be at risk of extinction.

Note that many flowering plants have bands geography Narrow, that is There are many different types in one placeTheir population or habitat is declining.

Contemporaries of dinosaurs

Nargar says that recent research, based on analysis DNA (plant genetic material), challenges some previous beliefs about… development And distribution fruit gardenbased on the study of the physical characteristics of plants.

For example, “New data suggest that the orchid family did not originate in Australia as previously thought.”But in the northern hemisphere, about 83 million years ago, it spread throughout the world.”

that it The first orchids arose when dinosaurs walked the Earthaccording to Q.

“Pedigree The largest lizard in Australia“, which represents more than 60 percent of this country’s orchid species diversity, originated in Australia and dates back more than 40 million years.”

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For this part, “Most orchid species around the world originated recently In the history of the Earth during the past five million years.

Australia has 51 species of orchids Listed in The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened SpeciesMost of which grow in the ground, unlike most orchids in the rest of the world, which grow on trees, according to CSIRO.