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Stanhopea wardii

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Stanhopea wardii Introduction Vanda coerulea Stanhopea wardii Catasetum pileatum Tolumnia bahamensis Phalaenopsis Taisuco Kochidan Masdevallia ignea Brassia rex Himantoglossium hircinum Laelia purpurata Aerides odorata Spathoglottis plicata Schomburgkia splendida Dendrobium stratiotes Phragmepedium caudatum Coelogyne massangeana
 

Indigenous to Nicaragua, Colombia, and Venezuela, Stanhopea wardii gives off a strong medicinal fragrance that attracts male bees. They collect the flowers' perfume and store it for their courtship of females in specialized organs on their hind legs. Experts believe that female bees choose their mates based on the quantity and diversity of the males' collected scents. This process of sexual selection is similar to how a female peacock rates a male's plumage, but on a chemical basis as opposed to a visual one.

 
     
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