how many species of flowering plants there are?

你們知道嗎~~

There are a quarter of a million -- at least those are the ones we know about --

這世上到底有多少種類的開花植樹呢？

a quarter of a million species of flowering plants.

光是我們已知的，就有大約25萬種!!

And flowers are a real bugger.

25萬種的開花植物....

They're really difficult for plants to produce.

而花朵真的是個大麻煩,

They take an enormous amount of energy and a lot of resources.

對植物來說，花朵是非常難長出來的，

Why would they go to that bother?

那要耗費極大量的能量和許多的的資源

And the answer of course, like so many things in the world,

這麼麻煩為什麼還是要做呢？

is sex.

這答案正是像世界上許多其它的事情都一樣的，

I know what's on your mind when you're looking at these pictures.

為了"性"

And the reason that sexual reproduction is so important --

嘿嘿~ 我知道當你們在看這些圖片的時候，心裡在想些什麼 :P

there are lots of other things that plants can do to reproduce.

而有性生殖之所以這麼重要.....

You can take cuttings;

植物有許多其它(除了有性生殖之外)的方法可以繁殖

they can sort of have sex with themselves;

你可以用切枝繁殖

they can pollinate themselves.

植物可以和它們自己性愛...

But they really need to spread their genes

自己對自己傳播花粉

to mix with other genes

但其實它們真正需要的，是傳播它們的基因。

so that they can adapt to environmental niches.

並和其它的基因混合，

Evolution works that way.

藉此得到生態上的利基，

Now the way that plants transmit that information

演化，就是這麼進行的。

is through pollen.

植物用以傳播這個生命訊息的方法

Some of you may have seen some of these pictures before.

就是透過授粉

As I say, every home should have a scanning electron microscope

也許你們有人曾看過這些照片

to be able to see these.

就像我說的，每個人家裡都應該放台電子顯微鏡

And there is as many different kinds of pollen

來看這些東西。

as there are flowering plants.

花粉的種類，

And that's actually rather useful for forensics and so on.

正如開花植物那樣的多。

Most pollen that causes hay fever for us

而且其實那只對愛好辯論的人有用。

is from plants that use the wind

大多數會引起花粉症的花粉

to disseminate the pollen,

是從用風力授粉的植物而來

and that's a very inefficient process,

傳播花粉

which is why it gets up our noses so much.

(風力授粉) 是一種非常沒有效益的過程，

Because you have to chuck out masses and masses of it,

這也是為什麼它傳這麼多到我們鼻子裡的原因，

hoping that your sex cells, your male sex cells,

因為這植物必需要發出非常非常大量的花粉，

which are held within the pollen,

來使性胞子, 這邊特指雄性胞子,

will somehow reach another flower just by chance.

也就是花粉所攜帶著的，

So all the grasses, which means all of the cereal crops,

可以最終有希望到達別的花朵上，

and most of the trees

所以所有的草, 這邊"草"指的是所有的穀類植物，

have wind-borne pollen.

和大多數的樹木，

But most species

有著隨風而散佈的花粉，

actually use insects to do their bidding,

但事實上大多數的種類，

and that's more intelligent in a way,

是靠昆蟲來達到它們的目地，

because the pollen, they don't need so much of it.

從某個角度來說，這是相較之下較聰明的，

The insects

因為它們不需要用這麼多的花粉，

and other species

昆蟲

can take the pollen,

和其它的生物，

transfer it directly to where it's required.

可以帶著花粉，

So we're aware, obviously, of the relationship

把它傳到目的地，

between insects and plants.

所以我們可以很明白的發現

There's a symbiotic relationship there,

昆蟲和植物之間的關係

whether it's flies or birds or bees,

那是一種共生的關係，

they're getting something in return,

不論是蟲子或是鳥類，

and that something in return is generally nectar.

它們都可以從中獲得某些回饋,

Sometimes that symbiosis

這裡所謂的回饋在大多數的情況下是花蜜，

has led to wonderful adaptations --

有時候這種共生關系

the hummingbird hawk-moth

會因著適應生存環境而產生美妙的變化

is beautiful in its adaptation.

蜂鳥鷹一般的長喙,

The plant gets something,

就是一種美麗的適應作用

and the hawk-moth spreads the pollen somewhere else.

植物也得到一些好處

Plants have evolved

這鷹一般的長喙把花粉散佈到其它地方時

to create little landing strips here and there

植物已逐步成型

for bees that might have lost their way.

用小的降落用的帶狀記號在這個部位和那個部位

There are markings on many plants

讓錯失方向的蜜蜂可以找到

that look like other insects.

許多植物都有特別的記號

These are the anthers of a lily,

看起來就像是其它的昆蟲

cleverly done

這些是百合花的花藥

so that when the unsuspecting insect

聰明的構造

lands on it,

讓不疑有它的昆蟲

the anther flips up and whops it on the back

停留在上面

with a great load of pollen that it then goes to another plant with.

花藥翻開並拍打在昆蟲的背上

And there's an orchid

讓大量的花粉可以在昆蟲身上並帶去另一棵植物

that might look to you as if it's got jaws,

這是一棵蘭花

and in a way, it has; it forces the insect to crawl out,

也許對你們來說，它看起來就像長了下巴一樣

getting covered in pollen that it takes somewhere else.

而就某方面而言，它的確是。它迫使昆蟲從裡面爬出來，

Orchids: there are 20,000, at least,

因而覆蓋著花粉並帶到別處。

species of orchids --

蘭花有著，至少...

amazingly, amazingly diverse.

2萬以上的種類

And they get up to all sorts of tricks.

非常非常神奇的多樣性

They have to try and attract pollinators

並擁有著各式各樣的花招

to do their bidding.

它們必需試著去吸引播粉者

This orchid, known as Darwin's orchid,

來達到它們的目的

because it's one that he studied

這棵蘭花，也就是所知的"達爾文的蘭花" (中文學名:慧星蘭)

and made a wonderful prediction when he saw it --

因為這就是達爾文所研究

you can see that there's a very long nectar tube

並在看到它時做出驚人的預測

that descends down

你可以看出那有著很長的花蜜管 (學名:花距)

from the orchid.

往下生長

And basically what the insect has to do --

從蘭花本身開始。

we're in the middle of the flower --

而且基本上，昆蟲所必需做的是

it has to stick its little proboscis

從花的中間

right into the middle of that

要把它細細的取食器

and all the way down that nectar tube

伸進這中間

to get to the nectar.

一直順著花距下去，

And Darwin said, looking at this flower,

來取得花蜜。

"I guess something has coevolved with this."

看著這花，達爾文說：

And sure enough,

"我猜有某個物種和這個一同進化了"

there's the insect.

而正是如此

And I mean, normally it kind of rolls it away,

這就是那昆蟲的樣子，

but in its erect form,

我的意思是，雖然通常它都是卷著的

that's what it looks like.

但在伸直之後

Now you can imagine

它看起來就是這樣

that if nectar

現在，你可想像

is such a valuable thing

如果花蜜

and expensive for the plant to produce

是如此寶貴的東西

and it attracts lots of pollinators,

而且對植物來說生產的代價又高

then, just as in human sex,

又吸引這麼多的播種者

people might start to deceive.

那麼，若將此觀念轉移到人類的性愛裡，

They might say, "I've got a bit of nectar. Do you want to come and get it?"

人類也許會開始去欺騙，

Now this is a plant.

也許他們會說，"我這裡有一點花蜜唷！你們想過來弄一些嗎？"

This is a plant here

現在，這裡有棵植物，

that insects in South Africa just love,

這裡的這棵植物

and they've evolved with a long proboscis

是南非的昆蟲所衷愛的，

to get the nectar at the bottom.

而且他們演化出長的口器，

And this is the mimic.

來取得底部的花蜜，

So this is a plant that is mimicking the first plant.

這個則是所謂的"擬態"

And here is the long-probosced fly

而這棵植物則是做出了擬態來模擬前棵植物的樣子

that has not gotten any nectar from the mimic,

這是一隻有著長吸食器的蒼蠅

because the mimic doesn't give it any nectar. It thought it would get some.

它從做出擬態的花得不到任何的花蜜

So not only has the fly

因為這個擬態者並不提供任何花蜜，蒼蠅卻覺得它應該可得到一些

not got the nectar from the mimic plant,

所以不光是這個蒼蠅

it's also -- if you look very closely

沒辦法從擬態的植物得到花蜜，

just at the head end, you can see that it's got a bit of pollen

它也是...假如你很靠近的觀察

that it would be transmitting to another plant,

在頭的項端，你可以看到那兒有一點花粉，

if only some botanist hadn't come along

可以被傳播到另一株植物

and stuck it to a blue piece of card.

不過這也是如果植物學家沒有過來

(Laughter)

把它黏到藍色的卡片上面的話啦...(被拿去做實驗了)

Now deceit carries on through the plant kingdom.

（笑聲）

This flower with its black dots:

這種欺詐的手段遍佈著植物界

they might look like black dots to us,

這種花上有黑點:

but if I tell you, to a male insect of the right species,

對我們來說它們也許看起來就像黑點，

that looks like two females

但如果我告訴你們~ 對於適當種類的雄性昆蟲來說，

who are really, really hot to trot.

那看起來像是

(Laughter)

兩隻非常非常的讓它欲火焚身的雌性昆蟲

And when the insect gets there and lands on it,

（笑聲）

dousing itself in pollen, of course, that it's going to take to another plant,

而當昆蟲落在它上面的時候，

if you look at the every-home-should-have-one scanning electron microscope picture,

把它自己浸在花粉中，當然，那是它要帶到別株植物去的，

you can see that there are actually some patterning there,

如果你看每戶人家都該有的電子顯微鏡照片

which is three-dimensional.

你可以看到實際那上面有一些紋路，

So it probably even feels good for the insect,

是三維立體的，

as well as looking good.

所以它說不定會讓昆蟲感覺很舒服，

And these electron microscope pictures --

不單只是很好看。

here's one of an orchid mimicking an insect --

接下來這些電子顯微鏡的相片--

you can see that different parts of the structure

這是一棵蘭花擬態成昆蟲，

have different colors and different textures to our eye,

你看可看到構造上不同的部份

have very, very different textures

有著看來不一樣的顏色和不同的紋理

to what an insect might perceive.

有著非常非常特別的質地

And this one is evolved to mimic

尤其是對於會被吸引的昆蟲而言

a glossy metallic surface

接著這個演化出模仿

you see on some beetles.

一個發亮的金屬般的表面，

And under the scanning electron microscope,

就像你可以在一些甲蟲身上看到的一樣

you can see the surface there --

而在電子顯微鏡下面來看

really quite different from the other surfaces we looked at.

你可以看到那邊的表面

Sometimes the whole plant

和我們所看到的其它的表面非常的不同

mimics an insect, even to us.

有時候這整棵植物

I mean, I think that looks like some sort of flying animal or beast.

看起來像一隻昆蟲，甚至對我們人類來說也是

It's a wonderful, amazing thing.

我的意思是，我覺得那看起來像是某種飛行中的動物或野獸

This one's clever. It's called obsidian.

這是一個美妙的、驚人的東西

I think of it as insidium sometimes.

這個非常的聰明，它叫做黑曜石

To the right species of bee,

我想它有時被稱為insidium。

this looks like another very aggressive bee,

對於某些蜂類而言，

and it goes and bonks it on the head lots and lots of times to try and drive it away,

這看起來像是非常有侵略性的蜂，

and, of course, covers itself with pollen.

所以用頭去撞這個花好多次以試著去驅逐它，

The other thing it does

而當然的，它也就被覆蓋著花粉了。

is that this plant mimics another orchid

其它模仿的例子中

that has a wonderful store

也有植物擬態成

of food for insects.

那種蘊藏著很好的

And this one doesn't have anything for them.

昆蟲食物的蘭花。

So it's deceiving on two levels --

而這棵裡面卻沒有任何東西可以提供給昆蟲。

fabulous.

所以它的欺騙有兩個層次上

(Laughter)

實在難以置信。

Here we see ylang ylang,

(眾人笑)

the component of many perfumes.

這邊我們可看到"依蘭依蘭"(香水樹)

I actually smelt someone with some on earlier.

是許多香水的原料

And the flowers don't really have to be that gaudy.

我剛剛其實有聞到有人有噴一些在身上。

They're sending out a fantastic array of scent

這花並不需要那樣的艷麗

to any insect that'll have it.

它們大量散發出迷人的香氣

This one doesn't smell so good.

讓任何昆蟲都沾上。

This is a flower

這個植物聞起來不那麼好

that really, really smells pretty nasty

這是一朵

and is designed, again, evolved,

聞起來非常非常惡心的花

to look like carrion.

是經設計，也就是演化

So flies love this.

聞起來像是腐肉

They fly in and they pollinate.

所以蒼蠅很喜歡

This, which is helicodiceros,

會飛來幫它授粉

is also known as dead horse arum.

白星海芋

I don't know what a dead horse actually smells like,

也就是所知的死馬海芋

but this one probably smells pretty much like it.

我不知道一頭死馬實際上聞起來怎樣，

It's really horrible.

但這個大概聞起來就像那樣，

And blowflies just can't help themselves.

真的很糟

They fly into this thing,

緣頭蒼蠅會禁不起誘惑的

and they fly all the way down it.

飛進這個東西

They lay their eggs in it,

而且飛到最裡面

thinking it's a nice bit of carrion,

在那產卵

and not realizing that there's no food for the eggs, that the eggs are going to die,

並以為這是一塊很合適的腐肉

but the plant, meanwhile, has benefited,

卻不知道那裡並沒有可供給那些蛋的食物，那些蛋會死掉

because the bristles release

但這種植物卻同時得到好處

and the flies disappear

因為

to pollinate the next flower -- fantastic.

而這些蒼蠅會走掉

Here's arum, arum maculatum,

去將下一朵花授粉 -- 太美妙了。

"lords and ladies," or "cuckoo-pint" in this country.

這是一棵斑葉疆南星

I photographed this thing last week in Dorset.

叫做君子與淑女，我國稱之為水芋百合

This thing heats up

我上週在多實郡(英國英格蘭西南部的郡)照了這張相

by about 15 degrees above ambient temperature --

這種植物可以升溫到

amazing.

比週圍高15度

And if you look down into it,

真厲害~

there's this sort of dam past the spadix,

如果你往下看進去

flies get attracted by the heat --

有點像是堤壩的東西穿過這個肉穗花序，

which is boiling off volatile chemicals, little midges --

蒼蠅會被熱所吸引

and they get trapped underneath in this container.

熱將化學物質蒸散, 而小蚊子

They drink this fabulous nectar

和蒼蠅被困在這個容器中。

and then they're all a bit sticky.

他們喝這個極佳的花蜜，

At night they get covered in pollen,

然後他們也都變的有點黏黏的

which showers down over them,

到了晚上，他們披覆著

and then the bristles that we saw above,

灑在他們身上的花粉，

they sort of wilt and allow all these midges out, covered in pollen --

我們剛剛看到的短硬毛

fabulous thing.

會變得有些枯萎並讓這些小蚊蟲覆蓋著花粉離開，

Now if you think that's fabulous, this is one of my great favorites.

多美妙的事啊！

This is the philodendron selloum.

若你覺得剛剛的是很棒的，現在的這個是我最愛的之一

For anyone here from Brazil, you'll know about this plant.

這是"裂葉蔓綠絨" (或稱"春羽蔓綠絨"，或"天使蔓綠絨")

This is the most amazing thing.

對於這裡任何一位來自巴西的人來說，你們其實知道這個植物

That sort of phallic bit there

這是最神奇的東西

is about a foot long.

那個有點像陽具的東西

And it does something

大約一呎長

that no other plant that I know of does,

據我所知

and that is that when it flowers --

沒有任何其他植物會進行像它那樣的行為，

that's the spadix in the middle there --

那就是當它開花時

for a period of about two days,

這中間的這個是肉穗花序

it metabolizes in a way

為期兩天

which is rather similar to mammals.

它會某方面的變形

So instead of having starch,

變得有點像是哺乳類動物一般

which is the food of plants,

所以它與其像植物般的使用澱粉

it takes something rather similar to brown fat

也就是植物的食物

and burns it at such a rate

它反而使用像是棕脂肪這類的東西

that it's burning fat, metabolizing,

以某種速率燃燒它

about the rate of a small cat.

它燃燒脂肪, 新陳代謝

And that's twice the energy output, weight for weight,

用像是一隻小貓的速度

than a hummingbird --

若和一隻相等重量的蜂鳥相比

absolutely astonishing.

相當於是兩倍的能量輸出

This thing does something else which is unusual.

絕對是另人震驚的

Not only will it raise itself to 115 Fahrenheit,

這個東西還有另一個非比尋常的事情

43 or 44 degrees Centigrade, for two days,

它不但將它提升到華氏115度的溫度

but it keeps constant temperature.

或攝氏43或44度, 兩天

There's a thermoregulation mechanism in there

還保持恆定的溫度

that keeps constant temperature.

那是一種自體溫度調結的機制

"Now why does it do this," I hear you ask.

並且保持固定的溫度

Now wouldn't you know it,

為什麼它要這樣做呢？我聽你這樣問

there's some beetles that just love to make love at that temperature.

其實你有所不知

And they get inside, and they get it all on.