Experts discover the proteins that give the flower its unique 'lip' petal
Researchers have found that its shape is determined by two competing groups of proteins and by tweaking them, they can convert this lip into a standard petal. The study, published in the journal Nature Plants, extends scientists' understanding of the mechanisms leading to the diverse beauty of orchid flowers.
There are between 21,950 and 26,049 accepted species of Orchid, most of which have a large and irregular modified petal, called the lip, in addition to three 'normal' petals.The structure of orchids is unique among floral plants. They also have three sepals, which sometimes look like other petals, and a single column at the centre which is used during reproduction.
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