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What orchid serves alcohol?

May 15, 2002

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The broad-leaved helleborine (Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz) is a shade-loving terrestrial orchid native to Europe and naturalized in the eastern U.S. The orchid is thought capable of persisting in an underground stage for years surviving on food provided by a symbiotic fungus.

In the years it does bloom, a spike arises from the rhizome. The flowers vary from green to purple and appear above the leaves at the top of the spike in late summer.

A Wasp Clinging to a Plant
Taylor Kennedy
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The flowers are pollinated by common wasps (Vespula spp.) often attracted to the blooms in large numbers. The wasp lands on the labellum (lip, the showy and usually lowest petal) and drinks the nectar. As the wasp leaves, it bumps its head on the rostellum, the beak-like tissue that holds the anther in position. The pollinia (mass of pollen grains) from the anther become firmly glued to the wasp's head.

Wasps frequently groom themselves, rubbing their forelegs over their heads and thoraxes. This effectively removes any particles the wasps may have picked up during feeding, including the pollinia.

But B.K. Ehlers and J.M. Olesen discovered that helleborine nectar is special. Microorganisms living in the nectar convert some of the sugar to ethanol. The wasp leaves the flower somewhat intoxicated and behaving sluggishly.

A tipsy wasp does not groom frequently and will visit the next flower with the pollinia in place. It is theorized this 'floral cocktail' improves the chances the next flower gets cross-pollinated.

The Ulster Museum of Northern Ireland simply has some of the finest photographs on the internet. To view photographs of Epipactis helleborine, click on the link:

Click here to view photographs of Epipactis helleborine