Orchids get their name from the Greek orchis, meaning “testicle”, from the appearance
of subterranean tuberoids of the genus Orchis. The word “orchis” was first used by Theophrastos (372/371 – 287/286 BC), in his book “De historia plantarum” (The natural history of plants). He was a student of Aristotle and is considered the father of botany and ecology.
Orchids, like the grasses and the palms, which they resemble in some ways-for
instance the form of their leaves-are monocotyledons. They have one cotyledon, or
embryo leaf, in contrast to the two of most flowering plants.
Orchids are cosmopolitan in distribution, occurring in every habitat, except Antarctica
and deserts. The great majority are to be found in the tropics, mostly Asia, South
America and Central America. They are found above the Arctic Circle, in southern Patagonia and even on Macquarie Island, close to Antarctica.
Orchids are truly flowers of superlatives. Even a complete layman in botany is awed
by the beauty of orchids. No plant family has as many different flowers as the orchid family. There are many types of specializations within the Orchidaceae. Best known
are the seemingly endless structural variations in the flowers that encourage
pollination by particular species of insects, bats, or birds. Most African orchids are
white, while Asian orchids are often multicolored. Some orchid species only grow one flower on each stem, others sometimes more than a hundred together on a single
spike. The typical orchid flower is zygomorphic, i.e. bilaterally symmetric. Notable exceptions are the genera Mormodes, Ludisia and Macodes.
For most people, the name “orchid” often conjures up only a few dozens of different images, most of them man made hybrids, mass-propagated by the floral industry
and widely commercialized for their decorative value. Despite having the largest
number of species, equally -if not more- showy and fascinating, the commercial orchid species growers are far and few in between. With the ongoing habitat destruction
around the world, there is a heightened interested in preservation and cultivation of
orchid species.
E-books (downloadable over the internet)
ORCHIDS TO BRAG ABOUT . click here
ORCHID SECRETS REVEALED click here
THE MAGIC OF ORCHIDS click here
Orchid Myths
Here are some of the popular orchid myths:
#1 Orchids are Carnivorous
They are not, in fact, they pollinate by luring insects to them but they do not eat the insects. This helps the orchid gardening
#2 Orchids come from the Tropics
Some orchid flowers do come from the tropical climates but they grow in any climate and in any country, even Alaska.
#3 Orchids are Expensive.
Not anymore. Now with the increased number of orchid gardening and growers, the modern reproductive methods orchids now are reasonably priced.
#4 Orchids are Hard to Grow.
This orchid myths is now furthest from the truth. They are not anymore difficult than any other plant. They need the basics, water, light, air and fertilizer. And you can have a beautful orchid flowers that last for years.
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