THE PARALLEL UNIVERSE of the Pleuro-thallidinae, pracrjcally by definition, introduces us to some seemingly otherworldly creatures. If there were an AOS award for the strangest orchid in a show, it would likely be bestowed on a pleurothallid (orpossiblya bulbophyllum). Such flowers have explored alternative pathways of evolution by catering to equally strange pollinators. Well, this is not entirely true, as the minute insects, mostly flies and gnats, associated with them are actually incredibly commonplace, we just do not tend to think about them unless they are pestering us somehow. These pollinators are all around us, and particularly common in wet forests where there is a lot of decaying matter to feed fungi, another parallel universe that we canbarely comprehend. Flowers catering to these types of pollinators also engage in deception like many other orchids, and their flowers have evolved and changed to take advantage of their instinctual "hardwired" behavior. As a result, these types of flowers also challenge our traditional definitions of beauty.
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