The plants belonging to the family Orchidaceae represent a pinnacle of evolutionary success in the plant kingdom. Represented by approximately twenty-five thousand species, they are possibly the largest family of flowering plants on Earth. Although orchids are most diverse in the tropics, they are found on every continent except Antarctica and can be found as far north as Alaska and as far south as Tierra del Fuego. Perhaps the main reason that orchids are so successful is that they have developed close relationships with insect pollinators and fungi. Their life histories are extremely complex and intricately woven together across three kingdoms of life: Plantae, Animalia, and Fungi.

Unlike other plants, orchid seeds contain no storage food for their dormant embryos. In order for most orchid seeds to germinate, they must be infected by fungal hyphae. After infection takes place, the orchid is able to take nourishment from the...