Orchids are prolific in Ecuador, where there seems to be such a natural ecosystem that more than 4000 species have been cataloged and there are many more just waiting to be added to official registers.
Among the more than 25,000 varieties there are worldwide, Ecuador can claim more of those varieties than any other country.
And thanks to such an amazing environment in Ecuador, they are prolific.
You can see Orchids nearly anywhere! Of the many varieties, some grown from what appear to be bulbs, such as those for Tulips or Iris, but in fact are just deposits for food and water stored at the base of the leaves.
Others have leaves that store food and water providing all the flower needs to thrive.
So it could be said that an Orchid in the plant world, may be like the alligator in the animal world in terms of finding a way to survive the changes of its environment.
Then there are the ones that are seen on trees that develop air roots, which allows them to draw moisture from the air so there is no need to be rooted in the dirt as most other flowers.
Here again is evidence of the remarkable ability of the Orchid to adapt.
Orchids are known for their interaction with pollinators, which for the most part are insects.
There are many species of bees that you would normally associate with a pollinator, those being honey bees, bumble bees, wasps, moths and butterflies.
More than 80% of plants are pollinated this way, meaning the pollen is transferred from one part of the plant to another, allowing the fertilization to occur and therefore starting the fruiting which is the end result of pollination.
What is more interesting is that the odors, colors, and many of the characteristics of these flowers were not created for man's benefit, but that of attracting the insects or animals such as bats and birds that will allow pollination.
Sweet smelling ones will attract bees, while those with an unpleasant aroma will attract flies.
There are white orchids that bloom at night, attracting moths and bats, while there are others with tubular blooms that attract hummingbirds.
So as has been mentioned earlier the Orchid is one of the more amazing plants for its ability to adapt to its environment, unless that environment is destroyed, depriving many species of the nourishment to survive and therefore becoming extinct as happens when land is de-forested!