this post was submitted on 23 Jun 2024
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UK Nature and Environment

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[–] callcc@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

The reason why orchids are so special and rare is that they need the mentioned fungus to feed their children plants. In opposition to most other seeds that come with loads of nutrients stored in the first leaves (cotyledons), orchid seeds are microscopic and don't have any nutrient storage. Only the symbiosis with the fungus makes them able to grow at first.