by Rich Leighton | Mar 13, 2020 | Butterflies, Florida Nature Facts, Florida Nature Photography, Insects, Invertebrates, Natural History, Nature & Wildlife
Most adult butterflies can’t bite or chew. They eat mainly liquids like nectar, sap, juices from fruits, and sometimes even fluids from carcasses. They have a long, tube-like tongue called a proboscis, which works like a straw to suck up liquid. When...
by Rich Leighton | Feb 17, 2020 | Florida Nature Facts, Florida Nature Photography, Natural History, Nature & Wildlife, Orchids
Certain species of orchids are parasitic. They are not able to produce food (sugar) using the sunlight and carbon dioxide (like other green plants with chlorophyll). Instead, they obtain food from fungi that live inside their roots. MORE PHOTOS OF NATIVE ORCHIDS MORE...
by Rich Leighton | Dec 17, 2019 | Florida Nature Facts, Florida Nature Photography, Landscape, Natural History, Nature & Wildlife
The Fakahatchee Strand in Southwest Florida is famous for its variety of wild native orchids – particularly the ghost orchid, as well as its rare ferns and bromeliads. Part of the Northern Florida Everglades system, it has an extremely diverse eco system with...
by Rich Leighton | Nov 8, 2019 | Florida Nature Facts, Florida Nature Photography, Mushrooms, Natural History, Nature & Wildlife
Over 80 percent of all terrestrial plants have a mycorrhizal relationship with mushrooms. The roots of the plants have a symbiotic relationship with the underground mycelium. Mycelium nourishes the plant’s roots, and in turn, the plant transfers nutrients to the...
by Rich Leighton | Oct 28, 2019 | Florida, Florida Nature Facts, Florida Nature Photography, Natural History, Nature & Wildlife, Orchids
Roughly 10 percent of all plant species are orchids, making them the largest plant family on Earth. MORE PHOTOS OF ORCHIDS MORE FLORIDA NATURE FACTS Florida Nature Facts is a series about interesting facts about the flora, fauna and places that make Florida so...
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