Orchids have some of the tiniest, most nutrient-poor seeds in the plant world — and for a long time, how they ever germinated at all was something of a mystery.⁠ ⁠ Now scientists at Kobe University have found a remarkable answer. Burying seeds from four orchid species across forest habitats, they discovered that only the seeds near rotting logs sprouted — pointing to an almost exclusive partnership between orchid seedlings and the fungi that decompose dead wood.⁠ ⁠ The connection runs deep. Researchers repeatedly found coral-shaped root structures on young orchids near decaying logs — never in random soil. These structures appear to be the physical signature of the relationship, linking seedlings to fungi that unlock carbon from decomposing wood and help young plants establish themselves on the dark forest floor.⁠ ⁠ What it means: deadwood isn't dead. It's a hidden network of renewal — feeding the next generation of one of the world's most beloved plant families, and offering new clues...