Nature Imitating Nature Trivia Quiz

Answer: Monkey Orchid

The clue is in the name "simia", which is from 'simian' which means monkey or ape. This epiphyte belongs to the genus "Dracula" which is so named for the blood red colour of a number of flowers in the genus, named for the literary vampire made famous by Bram Stoker.

It is native to Mexico, Central America and a number of countries in South America. It is not the only orchid to have this common name though; the "Calanthe tricarinata" and "Orchis simia", both Asian orchids as well as the South American "Dracula gigas" are all called "Monkey Orchid".

Answer: Bleeding Heart

"Bleeding heart" is a native Asian plant from the poppy family. The Scotsman, Robert Fortune, who is best known for stealing tea plants from China in 1848 while in the employ of the British East India Company, was responsible for introducing the Bleeding heart plant to England.

The "Alba" cultivar is pure white and is known as the "White bleeding heart" and was awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticulture Society.

Answer: Hanging Lobster Claw

The Hanging lobster claw differs from most other plants in the genus 'Heliconia', in that it has downward facing flowers. This means, as opposed to other flowers which provide water storage for birds and insects, this particular flower makes nectar available for birds. It is one of the two national flowers of Bolivia.

Answer: Beehive Ginger

So named for its resemblance to a skep beehive (a man made conical beehive, made from grass or straw), the native Asian Beehive ginger is known as a 'true' ginger. The name "Zingiber" is derived from the Sanksrit word for 'shaped like a horn' and 'spectabile' is derived from the Latin 'spectabilis' meaning spectacular.

It has a number of medicinal uses and research suggests that it might even be effectively used as a colon cancer treatment.

Answer: Cannonball Tree

The Cannonball tree, native to the Americas, has cultural and religious significance in certain Asian countries and is grown around Buddhist and Hindu temples. Despite having really pretty pink to red flowers, the fruits of this tree are more interesting.

They can grow up to 25 centimetres in diameter and literally resemble cannonballs. They take approximately a year to mature and a single tree can have as many as 150 fruits. Once they fall to the ground, they are cracked open and the seeds and pulp are eaten by peccaries (skunk pig), paca (rodent), chickens and pigs and so the seeds are dispersed.

Answer: Bee Orchid

"Ophrys apifera" is derived from Greek and Latin. "Ophrys" means 'eyebrow' and 'apifera' is from the Latin meaning "bee bringing". As mentioned in the question, the flower's scent and look fool male bees in trying to mate with the flower. This flower attracts one genus of bee, "Eucera" (long horned bees) due to the chemical substance it emits.

It is commonly found in the Mediterranean region and can be found all over Europe, the Middle East and even in North Africa.

Answer: Swaddled Babies Orchid

The Swaddled babies orchid or Tulip orchid very much resembles an actual tulip. They come in two different colours, either greenish white or yellow to red, and each flower has a fleshy bulbous shape. This plant is found predominantly in South America and the genus was named for the Director-General of Mines for Peru, Francisco de Angulo.

The flowers smell strongly of cinnamon and each flower literally looks like a little swaddled baby surrounded by leaves.

Answer: Large Duck Orchid

The Large duck orchid, also known as the Flying duck orchid, looks like a duck in flight. This unusual flower attracts insects due its insect-like labellum (lip) and the flower is pollinated through pseudocopulation. This labellum is extremely sensitive and actually moves to trap the insect when it is touched. It is found predominantly in Australia and Tasmania.

Answer: Dove Orchid

This beautiful, marble-white epiphyte is also known as the "flower of the Holy Spirit". The centre of the flower has a well defined dove shape, hence its name. It is the national flower of Panama and due to its beauty is in danger of becoming extinct due to over collecting by traffickers and plant lovers alike.

It was added to the Washington Treaty on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora as an endangered species and the Panamanian organisation APROVACA works tirelessly to preserve this beautiful plant and save it from extinction.

Answer: Ballerina Orchid

The Ballerina orchid is another orchid native to Australia. It is known to grow in only one region in Western Australia and is a very rare plant and is listed as critically endangered by the Australian Government. Most of the plant population is now in a reserve, but grazing by kangaroos and land clearing were/are the greatest threats to its existence. Due to its one erect leaf and the remaining leaves drooping slightly, it gives the appearance of a ballerina surrounded by a tutu.