What is an Orchid?

An orchid is a member of the Orchidaceae family, the largest group of all living flowers. There are at least 25,000 different species of orchids, with probably thousands more that remain unknown or unclassified. Horticulturists have also created over 100,000 hybrids for commercialization, as orchids are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). An orchid can grow in almost any climate except deserts, but most of them are native to tropical and subtropical climates, with tropical America having the largest variety. An orchid can also grow in all kinds of soil, including rocky soil or anchored on trees. The color of an orchid depends mainly on where they grow. While Asian orchids are bright and multicolored, an African orchid is usually white. The same is true of their format and size, which varies greatly from species to species. Of the many different types of orchids known, some are fairly easy to grow at home. An orchi ... more

Orchids are classified in the family Orchidaceae which contains the largest group of plants on Earth. There are more than 25,000 known species of orchids and more are being discovered every day. The orchids are recognized as the most highly evolved plants with one of the widest distributions. They come in many sizes from miniatures that need to be seen with a magnifying glass to giants that grow vines up to 100 feet or weigh tons. They are found on all continents with the exception of Antarctica and Arctic regions. As a result of their wide distribution, orchids have some of the most diverse species imaginable. The growth patterns of orchids can be broken down into two main groups. Sympodial growth is characterized by new growth from the base of old growths in a semi-linear manner. Examples of sympodial plants are Cattleyas, Dendrobiums and Oncidiums. Monopodial growth has one primary stem from which all leaves and flowers grow. Examples of monopodial plants are Vandas, Phragmipediums ... more

Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} Orchids are beautiful and unique. Believe it or not, orchids are the dominant flowering plants on the planet! There are more orchid species than any other plant type on the entire planet! There are more than 25,000 known species of orchids and more are being discovered every day. This does not include the potentially hundreds of thousands or millions of man made crosses. The orchids are recognized as the most highly evolved plants with one of the widest distributions. They come in many sizes from miniatures that need to be seen with a magnifying glass to giants that grow vines up to ... more

This is not as silly a question as it might seem, nor is the answer easy. As new evidence is brought to light, taxonomists constantly reassess the limits of the orchid family: some, for instance, place the "most primitive" orchids, Apostasta and Neuwiedia, in their own family, Apostasiaceae. In describing a plant family so vast and so diverse, it is almost safe to say that there are no rules, only exceptions. Biologists generally agree, however, that one feature above all others defines the orchid and differentiates it from virtually all other flowering plants - the fusion of the male portion of the flower (stamens) and female portion (pistils). Orchids have three stamens and three pistils, but unlike those of a lily, for example, which are separate from each other, those of the orchid me fused into a structure termed the column or gynostemium, which is located to one side of the flower. In slipper orchids (Cypripedium Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium, Selenipedium), only two of the stamen ... more

People frequently ask what distinguishes an orchid from any other plant? There are several characteristics. We comment only on those which are easy to see. • The most important characteristic is irregular or zygomorphic flowers. The perianth is usually clearly divided into an upper and a lower half. The perianth always has six lobes which are arranged in two whorls of three. The lip or labellum is usually a prominent and highly complicated lobe. A noteworthy exception is our southern African genus Disa, which has a simple and rather insignificant lip. The perianth lobes can be drawn out into spurs, which may be minute and less than 1 mm in length or up to 20 cm long. Such spurs are normally found on the lip (Habenaria, many epiphytic orchids), but many southern African orchids have spurred median (middle) sepals (e.g. Disa) or lateral sepals (Disperis). Satyrium has two spurs on its lip. Spurs normally hold nectar as a reward for the pollinators. • Orchids have undivided, and in most c ... more

A tall, slender stalk leads to an exquisite flower composed of three inner petals, three outer petals, and a cupped petal distinct from the rest. Labellum, inflorescence, sepal the names of the anatomical parts sound as fabulous as they look. The whole exotic composition is almost alien in appearance, extravagant in the extreme, yet possessed of a delicate intricacy. Orchidaceae is arguably the most stunning and elegant family of flowering plant known to man. For millions of years, the orchid family has thrived and expanded, defying evolution, Mother Nature, and the exploitation of its greatest opponent Man. One hundred and twenty million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, a magnificent flowering plant came into being the orchid. Evolution led to the demise of many plants and animals, but the orchid flourished, thriving on every continent save Antarctica. Orchids have adapted to live in all kinds of environments mountains, bogs, grasslands and rainforests. At least 35,000 orch ... more

Orchids are widely considered to be the most highly evolved of all flowering plants. Since I am doing the writing here, I will continue to consider them as such. What makes something an orchid? There are two answers. The first, and most simple, is that an orchid is whatever the professional taxonomists tell you is an orchid. This is sufficient for most people. Technically, an orchid is a flowering plant that exhibits a unique reproductive strategy. All orchids have both the male and female reproductive structures fused into a single structure commonly called a "column". They also share some other floral characteristics, including (usually) a highly modified petal called a lip, or labellum. Think of it as a landing pad for bugs. These things are easy to see in most of the common orchids, although some orchid flowers are so small (or strange) that it can be difficult to tell. In that case it is best to go with the first definition. I'm sure that professional taxonomists have a more detai ... more