
Local
The flowers of the origin of species
JOSÉ MARÍA MARTÍN Estepona
...conditions it needs to survive. This was no easy task because it is a capricious species and it has taken several attempts and different locations in the park before the plant decided it was happy to grow there. Something else unusual about this plant ... is that it emits its strong scent at night. One of the experts at the orchid park, Anatoli Minzatu, says it can be smelled from at least five metres away, so it is a pity that this type of natural museum can only be visited during the day. Anatoli ... has been working at the botanical park since shortly after it opened, nearly six years ago. During that time he has seen it evolve and grow. "We have nearly 1,500 species of orchid here now. There are apparently between 25,000 and 35,000 different