Ophrys orchid: sexual deceitओफ्रिस आर्किड: लैंगिक छल
NCERT Fig 11.5 · Class 12 Biology · Chapter 11 · interactive diagram
Parts and their functions
- Ophrys orchid flower (ओफ्रिस आर्किड पुष्प) — A Mediterranean orchid that offers no reward; it gets pollinated by a species of bee through “sexual deceit”.
- Another Ophrys flower (दूसरा ओफ्रिस पुष्प) — When the same bee pseudocopulates with another flower, it transfers pollen and pollinates it.
- Petal resembling a female bee (मादा मधुमक्खी जैसी पंखुड़ी) — One petal looks uncannily like the female bee in size, colour and markings. If the female bee’s pattern changes, the flower must co-evolve to keep pollination working.
- Male bee (नर मधुमक्खी) — Attracted to what it perceives as a female, it “pseudocopulates” with the flower and gets dusted with pollen.
- Pollen (परागकण) — Picked up by the male bee and carried to the next flower.
Steps
- The male bee is attracted to the petal that looks like a female bee.
- It pseudocopulates with the flower and gets dusted with pollen.
- It pseudocopulates with another flower → pollen is transferred → pollination.
Original diagram drawn by Simple Learning Hub, based on NCERT Fig 11.5. Report a mistake