Seeds in need
Orchids have flamboyant flowers, but they are dependent on drab fungi to survive. In a greenhouse filled with orchids, David Attenborough explains that - in contrast to other plants - orchids don't put big stores of food into their seeds. In fact their seeds are tiny and gardeners found them very hard to germinate. But scientists discovered that many orchids have a special fungal partner which they need to grow. Timelapse shots shows the orchid seeds and fungal hyphae growing together. The fungus can extract nutrients that the orchid can't get at, and within a month the seedling is on its way to becoming a vigorous plant.
Duration:
This clip is from
Featured in...
成人快手 Nature
Be captivated, informed and inspired by the world's wildlife.
Playing with Time
A collection of clips showing the best in timelapse nature films.
More clips from Living Together
-
Parasitic plant
Duration: 02:40
-
Mistletoe partnerships
Duration: 03:03
-
Vampire plant
Duration: 03:40
-
Night and day
Duration: 03:55
More clips from The Private Life of Plants
-
Vampire plant
Duration: 03:39
-
Planting flowers—Travelling
Duration: 01:05
-
Super stars—Travelling
Duration: 01:23
-
Photosynthesis at work—Growing
Duration: 03:04