Orchids Can Look Like Animals Too? The Animals in the Orchid Family Look So Much Alike

China has a history of more than a thousand years of orchid cultivation, and orchids are known as one of the "Four Gentlemen" for their delicate and elegant appearance. According to incomplete statistics, there are about more than 20,000 varieties of orchids, ranking second on the list of the world's large plant families. And among orchid varieties, there are many whose flowers look extremely similar to animals, remarkably true to life.

1. Monkey Face Orchid (Dracula simia)

The flowers of this orchid are simply out of this world, because they really look so much like monkeys! When in bloom, they look like monkeys hanging one by one on the flower stalk, which reminds me of shadow puppetry, but even more vivid and lively than shadow puppetry - especially when the wind blows, it really feels like the monkeys are moving! The flowering period is generally April and May, and it can give off a scent like oranges.

2. Egret Orchid (Habenaria radiata)

The flowers are white, and the two upper petals are like a pair of egret wings; the edges of the petals are fringed strand by strand, making them look even more like the feathers on that pair of wings. The flowering period is summer. If many flowers bloom, you can see a scene like "a line of egrets rising into the blue sky." The flowering period coincides with the summer when sunlight is strong, so attention should be paid to shading.

3. Flying Duck Orchid (Caleana major)

The flowers are purple or purplish-black, and really look like a duck pouting up at the sky; the duck-bill part in particular is remarkably true to life and vividly realistic. The flowering period is summer. It is produced only in Australia, so it seems that wanting to witness the scene of "a duck that can fly" is no easy matter.

4. Parrot Orchid

The flowers of the parrot orchid simply could not look more like a parrot. If any flower lover sees them and thinks they do not look alike, I will admit defeat! And its flowers also come in several colors - purple, white, red, and green - not only fully expressing the parrot's colorful feathers, but each color also outlines each part of the parrot just right - the red head, the white body, the purple tail, and the green parrot beak.

5. Dove Orchid (Peristeria elata)

The dove orchid is the national flower of Panama. Its flowering period is from November to April, and it needs to be grown for three to five years before it blooms. Apart from a few small purple dots on the dove's wings, the flower color is mainly white. The flower's outer shape is no different from ordinary flowers, with several white petals wrapped around it in layers on the outside. What is peculiar is that in the center it looks like a dove spreading its wings in flight.