Nature & Environment
Horrifying Demon Image Found In Clawed Flowers
Brooke James
First Posted: Jul 14, 2016 06:06 AM EDT
The flower is called Telipogon diaboliticus, and if you're wondering why some Latin form of "diabolical" is in a flower, it's because what seems like a demon's head can be seen in the heart of the orchid species.
Discovered in southern Colombia, this distinctive new species has an image of a demon head in its heart, and has petals that looked clawed. The orchid belongs to the telipogon genus - the group itself was first described by biologists over 200 years ago. However, the diabolicus is a new species. The journal, Phytokeys noted the flower as a dark violet and maroon orchid with a stem measuring between 5.5 to 9 centimeters in height.
Apart from the demon's head that made the flower look like something out of hell, its characteristically clawed petals were also seen for the first time in the Colombian species of the genus.
Unfortunately, the International Business Times reported that the recent discovery may already be nearing extinction. Its only known habitat is restricted to a single population of about 30 plants at the border between Putmay and Nariño departments in Colombia. Scientists think that the orchid could now be listed as a critically endangered species in the IUCN Red List, with a reconstruction of a nearby road expected to have a negative impact on the habitat.
The coloring and characteristics of T.diabolicus may likely be the result of Natural Selection. According The Washington Post, patterns usually emerge as they are reinforced to be more common and specific -the flower probably seeking favor from some insect to help pollinate it, like an orchid bee. After all, orchids are known to evolve to look attractive to different insects, and can closely mimic species that will help males land on them in an attempt to mate.
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First Posted: Jul 14, 2016 06:06 AM EDT
The flower is called Telipogon diaboliticus, and if you're wondering why some Latin form of "diabolical" is in a flower, it's because what seems like a demon's head can be seen in the heart of the orchid species.
Discovered in southern Colombia, this distinctive new species has an image of a demon head in its heart, and has petals that looked clawed. The orchid belongs to the telipogon genus - the group itself was first described by biologists over 200 years ago. However, the diabolicus is a new species. The journal, Phytokeys noted the flower as a dark violet and maroon orchid with a stem measuring between 5.5 to 9 centimeters in height.
Apart from the demon's head that made the flower look like something out of hell, its characteristically clawed petals were also seen for the first time in the Colombian species of the genus.
Unfortunately, the International Business Times reported that the recent discovery may already be nearing extinction. Its only known habitat is restricted to a single population of about 30 plants at the border between Putmay and Nariño departments in Colombia. Scientists think that the orchid could now be listed as a critically endangered species in the IUCN Red List, with a reconstruction of a nearby road expected to have a negative impact on the habitat.
The coloring and characteristics of T.diabolicus may likely be the result of Natural Selection. According The Washington Post, patterns usually emerge as they are reinforced to be more common and specific -the flower probably seeking favor from some insect to help pollinate it, like an orchid bee. After all, orchids are known to evolve to look attractive to different insects, and can closely mimic species that will help males land on them in an attempt to mate.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone