Plant mimicry, its evolutionary advantage.

Figure 1,  The bee orchid (Ophrys apifera)
improves its pollination by mimicking
a member of its targeted pollinators.
Photographer: N. Cotner.

  According to Oxford dictionary of English (2005), mimicry is the "close external ressemblance of an animal or a plant, to another animal, plant or inanimate object". As we will cover a few examples on this blog, you will discover that some mimicry evolution has given birth to a lot of original and smart shapes. Also, some mimicry turn out to be pretty and interesting. But really, what purpose do they serve?

Figure 2, A group of living stones
(Lithops helmutii), surrounded by smaller 
rocks, easily hides from its predators.
Photographer: J. Hairan.

  Well, some mimicry will attract, whereas others will repel: for example, Figure 1 is not a photo of a bee, but rather a plant, known as a bee orchid (Ophrys apifera). The flowers of this plant have evolved to attract bees to facilitate the process of pollination (Vereecken & Genoud, 2007). Another example are the lithops, or more commonly known as "living stones", as seen in Figure 2. The big, rounded, and grey/pinkish part are all plants, which are surrounded by smaller rocks. This mimicry allows them to hide from their predators as they will consider that they are all rocks (Barrett, 1987), and there is no point eating rocks, right?

Even if this has only covered a small sample of plant mimicry topic, I am sure you have already understood that plants mimicry have evolved to give lots of useful survival advantages to plants. Wether it be the facilitation of reproduction by attracting pollinators, or even hiding in plant sight, plant mimicry ensures the continuity of their species.

Reference list:

Cotner, N. (n.d.). The bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) improves its pollination by mimicking a member of its targeted pollinators [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/Plant_Strategies/mimicry.shtml

• Hairan, J. (n.d.). A group of living stones (Lithops helmutii), surrounded by smaller rocks, easily hides from its predators [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.cactuspro.com/conophytum-lithops/encyclopedie/lithops/helmutii/lithops-helmuthii.jpg.php
• Mimicry. (2015). In Oxford Dictionary of English. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/spellcheck/words/?q=mimicry
• Barrett , S.C.H. (1987). Mimicry in Plants. Scientific American, 255(9), 76-83.
• Vereecken, N. & Genoud, D. (2007). La pollinisation de l’Ophrys arachnitiformis (Orchidaceae) par les mâles de Colletes cunicularius (L.) (Hymenoptera, Colletidae) dans les Pyrénées-Atlantiques (France). Osmia, 1, 20 -22.