Photograph: K. Legge |
Diuris pardina (may also appear as Diuris maculata in some books) is commonly known as the Leopard Orchid.
Like all orchids, the pollen is dispersed as a packet, called the pollinium. Many orchid pollen grains are beautifully sculptured, yet this may have no bearing on dispersal as the pollinating agents do not come into contact with the individual grains. The Leopard orchid is a very common orchid around Bendigo, but just what agents act as pollinators is not really known. Hour of observation may not yield a single visitor to the flower Pollen images light microscopy electron microscopy |