A lot is known about how animals disguise themselves in the wild, chameleons being a prime example, where they are capable of cleverly changing their colours to suit their environment, masters of disguise by magically blending in with their surroundings.

Tigers are good at it too, their yellow and black stripes blending into the background of long grass so they can creep up on unsuspecting prey. Many insects do it - one called the assassin bug (Acanthaspis petax) even carries dead ants on its back to throw spiders - their predators - off their trail. Others include the dead leaf mantis - a species of praying mantis that mimic dead leafy vegetation.

Even underwater, some fish are well known by burrowing in the sand to hide and creep up on their unsuspecting lunch, and octopus, with their 9 brains and being probably one of the most intelligent creatures out there, does the same – capable of not only changing colour, but can change their texture and shape too.


But what about plants?


You wouldn’t think much about plants being able to camouflage themselves, would you, and although the changes are not instant - like the octopus for example - they have evolved over the years to blend in as a form of self-preservation. Research on plant camouflage is limited compared to the wealth of knowledge about how other creatures conceal themselves.

They can blend in with the background, known as ‘disruptive colouration’ (using high-contrast markings to break up the perceived shape of an object) and ‘masquerade’, (looking like an unimportant object predators might ignore, such as a stone). Some plants do more than entice pollinators and photosynthesise with their colours - they hide in plain sight from enemies too.

With disruptive colouration, they use many of the same methods as animals to camouflage themselves. And this can be further broken down to 'decoration', where they accumulate things like dust or sand on their surface. No one likes a mouthful of sand, and even that single speck of grit that crunches in your teeth after a day at the beach is unpleasant. That's why certain plants use sticky hairs to help coat themselves in layers of grit, and for keeping hungry animals away, it works like a charm.


Masquarade Camoflage


One species that uses masquerade camouflage is Corydalis hemidicentra, a plant whose leaves match the colour of rocks where it grows, and are a good example of how camouflage can be adapted for different habitats, with different populations of this species looking different in different places.


Credits: envato elements;

But some plants have evolved to look like something else or to blend in. ‘Living Stones’ (Lithops) are a prime example and come in several varieties. These small, split succulents are native to the deserts of South Africa but are commonly sold in garden centres and nurseries. Lithops thrive in compacted, sandy soil with little water and can handle blistering hot temperatures.


Orchids


Some orchids have evolved into looking like something else too, being particularly good at looking like insects. The bee orchid—scientifically known as Ophrys apifera—is a sweet-smelling bloom with a clever little trick. That it looks so much like a bumblebee is no mistake: the flower attracts pollinators by bringing in male bees hoping to mate with the ‘bees’ already on the flowers. Another is the hammer orchid (an endangered genus of orchid that is native to Australia) is one of the most notable examples. This orchid both looks and smells like a female wasp to lure males to both deposit and pick up pollen.

Another clever plant is Boquila trifoliolata, and is probably the most puzzling plant in the world – it’s a vine that is capable of transforming its leaves in every possible way to imitate the plant it is close to without even touching what it copies.

The natural art of camouflage is fascinating to me. Who would have thought plants could be so clever?

Author

Marilyn writes regularly for The Portugal News, and has lived in the Algarve for some years. A dog-lover, she has lived in Ireland, UK, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. 

Marilyn Sheridan