In these orchid pictures,
the lady slipper's seed pod is still standing as a reminder of last years efforts at sowing seeds.
In order to sow the seeds, the seed capsule splits open with four long slits
through which thousands of dust-sized seeds are released to be borne on the wind to many new locations. Keep in mind, however, that the orchids are picky about sunlight and the soil conditions. On top of that, the orchid's seed carries no endosperm (food stores), so it must land where it can form a connection with a mycorrhizal fungus. This symbiotic relationship with fungus will nourish the young orchid plant.
Sure, the lady slipper's seed dispersal system seems to leave a lot chance, but the DNA in those dust-sized seeds contain all the necessary instructions to grow these extraordinary flowers with their amazing capabilities.
|Pink lady's slipper orchids after the rain|
That genetic code, my friend, will soon be blowin' in the wind.