Orchids are very well-adapted to life in the canopy. They have roots with a large surface area for rapid absorption of nutrients and water. Their secondary stems can hold stores of water so the plant can withstand periods of drying.One major reason orchids are so successful in the forest is because they produce tiny seeds (measured in microns) that number in the hundreds of thousands. The balloon-like seed coat coupled with the small seed size enables orchid seeds to be dispersed over great areas by wind currents.

Orchids