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Drakaea
Drakaea is a genus of 10 species in the plant family Orchidaceae commonly known as hammer orchids. All ten species occur only in the south-west of Western Australia. Hammer orchids are characterised by an insectoid labellum that is attached to a narrow, hinged stem, which holds it aloft. The stem can hinge only backwards, where the broadly winged column carries the pollen and stigma. Each species of hammer orchid is pollinated by a specific species of thynnid wasp. Thynnid wasps are unusual in that the female is flightless and mating occurs when the male carries a female away to a source of food. The labellum of the orchid resembles a female thynnid wasp in shape, colour and scent.
The ten species of Drakaea are all found within the south-west botanical province of Western Australia, between the Esperance and Geraldton districts. They usually grow in sandy soil in loose, scattered colonies.
Lost Hammer Orchid · Kneeling Hammer Orchid · Late Hammer Orchid · Glossy Leaved Hammer Orchid · King In His Carriage · Slender Hammer Orchid · Lonely Hammer Orchid · Warty Hammer Orchid · Dwarf Hammer Orchid · Narrow Lipped Hammer Orchid
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Drakaea by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
