Title: Orchids from the past  

Presenter: Finn N. Rasmussen, Professor emeritus

University: Natural history Museum of Denmark

Time: 9:00-11:00, April 1, 2017

Venue: Room A203, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Abstract：Despite being the largest extant family of flowering plants, few fossils of orchids have been described, and unambiguous finds have first appeared in the last decade. Orchid pollinia attached to fossilized pollinators are exceptional sources of information about orchids from the past but may not always be recognized by collectors or insect specialists. Some recent finds are discussed, including an orchid anther cap with pollinia attached to a fungus gnat from Baltic amber supposed to be the so far oldest physical evidence for Orchidaceae.