The Diversity of Orchids, or: “Are You Orchidding Me?”

by Katie Grzesiak

Featured image:  Michigan Orchids.  Photos:  Katie Grzesiak I really just want to talk about plants all the time; apparently having a job where I talk about plants all the time isn’t enough for me. And since you’re not the boss of me, this time I want to talk about orchids. To make a long story short, orchids (plants in the …

Plants Without Chlorophyll: It’s Easy Being Green, But Stealing is Even Easier

by Katie Grzesiak

Featured images, left to right:  pinesap, ghost plant, spotted coralroot orchid.  Photos:  Katie Grzesiak Plants are Plants Plants make their food with energy from the sun; that’s what is often used to define them as plants.  If I want to throw my degrees around, I call them “photoautotrophs,” from the Greek for “light,” “self,” and “feed.”  Photosynthesis!  It’s super neat, …