Orchids are plants that belong to the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

, they are one of the two largest families of flowering plants. The Orchidaceae have about 28,000 currently accepted

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

, distributed in about 763

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

. (See ''External links'' below). The determination of which family is larger is still under debate, because verified data on the members of such enormous families are continually in flux. Regardless, the number of orchid species is nearly equal to the number of

bony fishes Osteichthyes (), popularly referred to as the bony fish, is a diverse superclass of fish that have skeletons primarily composed of bone tissue. They can be contrasted with the Chondrichthyes, which have skeletons primarily composed of cartilage ...

, more than twice the number of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

species, and about four times the number of

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

species. The family encompasses about 6–11% of all species of

seed plants A spermatophyte (; ), also known as phanerogam (taxon Phanerogamae) or phaenogam (taxon Phaenogamae), is any plant that produces seeds, hence the alternative name seed plant. Spermatophytes are a subset of the embryophytes or land plants. They inc ...

. The largest genera are '' Bulbophyllum'' (2,000 species), '' Epidendrum'' (1,500 species), '' Dendrobium'' (1,400 species) and '' Pleurothallis'' (1,000 species). It also includes ''

Vanilla Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia''). Pollination is required to make the p ...

'' (the genus of the vanilla plant), the type genus '' Orchis'', and many commonly cultivated plants such as '' Phalaenopsis'' and '' Cattleya''. Moreover, since the introduction of tropical species into cultivation in the 19th century,

horticulturists Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

have produced more than 100,000 hybrids and

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...

Description

Orchids are easily distinguished from other plants, as they share some very evident derived characteristics or

synapomorphies In phylogenetics, an apomorphy (or derived trait) is a novel character or character state that has evolved from its ancestral form (or plesiomorphy). A synapomorphy is an apomorphy shared by two or more taxa and is therefore hypothesized to have ...

. Among these are:

bilateral symmetry Symmetry in biology refers to the symmetry observed in organisms, including plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria. External symmetry can be easily seen by just looking at an organism. For example, take the face of a human being which has a pla ...

of the flower ( zygomorphism), many

resupinate Resupination is derived from the Latin word ''resupinus'', meaning "bent back with the face upward" or "on the back". "Resupination" is the noun form of the adjective "resupine" which means "being upside-down, supine or facing upward". The word " ...

flowers, a nearly always highly modified

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

(labellum), fused

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s and carpels, and extremely small

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

Stem and roots

All orchids are

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

s that lack any permanent woody structure. They can grow according to two patterns: *

Monopodial Vascular plants with monopodial growth habits grow upward from a single point. They add leaves to the apex each year and the stem grows longer accordingly. The word ''Monopodial'' is derived from Greek "mono-", ''one'' and "podial", "foot", in refe ...

: The stem grows from a single bud, leaves are added from the apex each year, and the stem grows longer accordingly. The stem of orchids with a monopodial growth can reach several metres in length, as in '' Vanda'' and ''

''. * Sympodial: Sympodial orchids have a front (the newest growth) and a back (the oldest growth). The plant produces a series of adjacent shoots, which grow to a certain size, bloom and then stop growing and are replaced. Sympodial orchids grow horizontally, rather than vertically, following the surface of their support. The growth continues by development of new leads, with their own leaves and roots, sprouting from or next to those of the previous year, as in '' Cattleya''. While a new lead is developing, the

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

may start its growth again from a so-called 'eye', an undeveloped bud, thereby branching. Sympodial orchids may have visible pseudobulbs joined by a ''

'', which creeps along the top or just beneath the soil. Orchis lactea rhizotubers

Terrestrial orchids may be rhizomatous or form

corm A corm, bulbo-tuber, or bulbotuber is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ that some plants use to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (perennation). The word ' ...

s or

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing ...

s. The root caps of terrestrial orchids are smooth and white. Some sympodial terrestrial orchids, such as '' Orchis'' and ''

Ophrys The genus ''Ophrys'' is a large group of orchids from the alliance Orchis in the subtribe Orchidinae. They are widespread across much of Europe, North Africa, Caucasus, the Canary Islands, and the Middle East as far east as Turkmenistan. These p ...

'', have two subterranean

tuberous root Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing ...

s. One is used as a food reserve for wintry periods, and provides for the development of the other one, from which visible growth develops. In warm and constantly humid climates, many terrestrial orchids do not need pseudobulbs.

Epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

orchids, those that grow upon a support, have modified aerial roots that can sometimes be a few meters long. In the older parts of the roots, a modified spongy

epidermis The epidermis is the outermost of the three layers that comprise the skin, the inner layers being the dermis and hypodermis. The epidermis layer provides a barrier to infection from environmental pathogens and regulates the amount of water rele ...

, called a velamen, has the function of absorbing humidity. It is made of dead cells and can have a silvery-grey, white or brown appearance. In some orchids, the velamen includes spongy and fibrous bodies near the passage cells, called tilosomes. The cells of the root epidermis grow at a right angle to the axis of the root to allow them to get a firm grasp on their support. Nutrients for epiphytic orchids mainly come from mineral dust, organic detritus, animal droppings and other substances collecting among on their supporting surfaces. Pseudobulbe

The base of the stem of sympodial epiphytes, or in some species essentially the entire stem, may be thickened to form a pseudobulb that contains nutrients and water for drier periods. The pseudobulb has a smooth surface with lengthwise grooves, and can have different shapes, often conical or oblong. Its size is very variable; in some small species of '' Bulbophyllum'', it is no longer than two millimeters, while in the largest orchid in the world, '' Grammatophyllum speciosum'' (giant orchid), it can reach three meters. Some '' Dendrobium'' species have long, canelike pseudobulbs with short, rounded leaves over the whole length; some other orchids have hidden or extremely small pseudobulbs, completely included inside the leaves. With ageing the pseudobulb sheds its leaves and becomes dormant. At this stage it is often called a backbulb. Backbulbs still hold nutrition for the plant, but then a pseudobulb usually takes over, exploiting the last reserves accumulated in the backbulb, which eventually dies off, too. A pseudobulb typically lives for about five years. Orchids without noticeable pseudobulbs are also said to have growths, an individual component of a sympodial plant.

Leaves

Like most

monocot Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, (Lilianae ''sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. They constitute one of ...

s, orchids generally have simple

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

with parallel veins, although some Vanilloideae have reticulate venation. Leaves may be ovate, lanceolate, or orbiculate, and very variable in size on the individual plant. Their characteristics are often diagnostic. They are normally

alternate Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

on the stem, often folded lengthwise along the centre ("plicate"), and have no stipules. Orchid leaves often have siliceous bodies called stegmata in the

vascular bundle A vascular bundle is a part of the transport system in vascular plants. The transport itself happens in the stem, which exists in two forms: xylem and phloem. Both these tissues are present in a vascular bundle, which in addition will inclu ...

sheaths (not present in the Orchidoideae) and are fibrous. The structure of the leaves corresponds to the specific habitat of the plant. Species that typically bask in sunlight, or grow on sites which can be occasionally very dry, have thick, leathery leaves and the laminae are covered by a waxy

cuticle A cuticle (), or cuticula, is any of a variety of tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings of an organism, or parts of an organism, that provide protection. Various types of "cuticle" are non- homologous, differing in their origin, structu ...

to retain their necessary water supply. Shade-loving species, on the other hand, have long, thin leaves. The leaves of most orchids are perennial, that is, they live for several years, while others, especially those with plicate leaves as in '' Catasetum'', shed them annually and develop new leaves together with new pseudobulbs. The leaves of some orchids are considered ornamental. The leaves of ''

Macodes sanderiana ''Macodes sanderiana'' (Kraenzl.) Rolfe is a species of South East Asian jewel orchid mostly recorded from New Guinea but is also found in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. This species has a long history of cultivation in Europe since the early 2 ...

'', a semiterrestrial or rock-hugging ("

lithophyte Lithophytes are plants that grow in or on rocks. They can be classified as either epilithic (or epipetric) or endolithic; epilithic lithophytes grow on the surfaces of rocks, while endolithic lithophytes grow in the crevices of rocks (and are also ...

") orchid, show a sparkling silver and gold veining on a light green background. The cordate leaves of ''Psychopsis limminghei'' are light brownish-green with maroon-puce markings, created by flower pigments. The attractive mottle of the leaves of lady's slippers from tropical and subtropical Asia ('' Paphiopedilum''), is caused by uneven distribution of chlorophyll. Also, ''

Phalaenopsis schilleriana ''Phalaenopsis schilleriana'' is a plant of the orchid genus ''Phalaenopsis'' and an endemic species to Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, ...

'' is a pastel pink orchid with leaves spotted dark green and light green. The jewel orchid (''Ludisia discolor'') is grown more for its colorful leaves than its white flowers. Some orchids, such as '' Dendrophylax lindenii'' (ghost orchid), ''

Aphyllorchis ''Aphyllorchis'', commonly known as pauper orchids or as 無葉蘭屬/无叶兰属 (wu ye lan shu), is a genus of about twenty species of terrestrial leafless orchids in the family Orchidaceae. Orchids in this genus have fleshy, upright stems an ...

'' and '' Taeniophyllum'' depend on their green roots for

photosynthesis Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored i ...

and lack normally developed leaves, as do all of the heterotrophic species. Orchids of the genus ''

Corallorhiza ''Corallorhiza'', the coralroot, is a genus of flowering plants in the orchid family. Except for the circumboreal ''C. trifida'', the genus is restricted to North America (including Mexico, Central America and the West Indies). Most species are ...

'' (coralroot orchids) lack leaves altogether and instead wrap their roots around the roots of mature trees and use specialized fungi to harvest sugars.

Flowers

Orchid flowers have three

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s, three petals and a three-chambered

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...

. The three sepals and two of the petals are often similar to each other but one petal is usually highly modified, forming a "lip" or labellum. In most orchid genera, as the flower develops, it undergoes a twisting through 180°, called

resupination Resupination is derived from the Latin word ''resupinus'', meaning "bent back with the face upward" or "on the back". "Resupination" is the noun form of the adjective "resupine" which means "being upside-down, supine or facing upward". The word " ...

, so that the labellum lies below the

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

. The labellum functions to attract insects, and in resupinate flowers, also acts as a landing stage, or sometimes a trap. Caladenia alpina (labelled)

The reproductive parts of an orchid flower are unique in that the

s and style are joined to form a single structure, the

. Instead of being released singly, thousands of

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

grains are contained in one or two bundles called pollinia that are attached to a sticky disc near the top of the column. Just below the pollinia is a second, larger sticky plate called the stigma.

Reproduction

Pollination

The complex mechanisms that orchids have evolved to achieve

cross-pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, ...

were investigated by

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...

and described in '' Fertilisation of Orchids'' (1862). Orchids have developed highly specialized

pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds ...

systems, thus the chances of being pollinated are often scarce, so orchid flowers usually remain receptive for very long periods, rendering unpollinated flowers long-lasting in cultivation. Most orchids deliver pollen in a single mass. Each time pollination succeeds, thousands of ovules can be fertilized. Pollinators are often visually attracted by the shape and colours of the labellum. However, some '' Bulbophyllum'' species attract male fruit flies (''

Bactrocera ''Bactrocera'' is a large genus of tephritid fruit flies, with close to 500 species currently described and accepted. Name The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ''bakter'' "rod" and ''kera'' "horn". Systematics Prior to the 1990s, almo ...

'' and ''

Zeugodacus ''Zeugodacus'' is a genus of tephritid or fruit flies in the family Tephritidae. Systematics Many subgenera are defined within this genus: Hancock DL, Drew RAI (2017) A review of the Indo-Australian subgenus Paratridacus Shiraki of Bactr ...

'' spp.) solely via a floral chemical which simultaneously acts as a floral reward (e.g. methyl eugenol, raspberry

ketone In organic chemistry, a ketone is a functional group with the structure R–C(=O)–R', where R and R' can be a variety of carbon-containing substituents. Ketones contain a carbonyl group –C(=O)– (which contains a carbon-oxygen double bo ...

, or

zingerone Zingerone, also called vanillylacetone, is a major flavor component of ginger, providing the sweet flavor of cooked ginger. Zingerone is a crystalline solid that is sparingly soluble in water and soluble in ether. Zingerone is similar in chemica ...

) to perform pollination. The flowers may produce attractive odours. Although absent in most species,

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...

may be produced in a spur of the labellum (8 in the illustration above), or on the point of the sepals, or in the septa of the ovary, the most typical position amongst the Asparagales. Phalaenopsis pollinia on toothpick

In orchids that produce pollinia, pollination happens as some variant of the following sequence: when the pollinator enters into the flower, it touches a viscidium, which promptly sticks to its body, generally on the head or abdomen. While leaving the flower, it pulls the pollinium out of the anther, as it is connected to the viscidium by the caudicle or stipe. The caudicle then bends and the pollinium is moved forwards and downwards. When the pollinator enters another flower of the same species, the pollinium has taken such position that it will stick to the stigma of the second flower, just below the rostellum, pollinating it. In horticulture, artificial orchid pollination is achieved by removing the pollinia with a small instrument such as a toothpick from the pollen parent and transferring them to the seed parent. Ophrys apifera flower2

Some orchids mainly or totally rely on

self-pollination Self-pollination is a form of pollination in which pollen from the same plant arrives at the Stigma (botany), stigma of a flower (in flowering plants) or at the ovule (in gymnosperms). There are two types of self-pollination: in autogamy, pollen i ...

, especially in colder regions where pollinators are particularly rare. The caudicles may dry up if the flower has not been visited by any pollinator, and the pollinia then fall directly on the stigma. Otherwise, the anther may rotate and then enter the stigma cavity of the flower (as in ''

Holcoglossum amesianum ''Holcoglossum amesianum'' is an orchid species (Family Orchidaceae) in the genus '' Holcoglossum''. Pollination Rather than depending on insects or even the wind for pollination, scientists have discovered that ''Holcoglossum amesianum'' actua ...

''). The slipper orchid '' Paphiopedilum parishii'' reproduces by

self-fertilization Autogamy, or self-fertilization, refers to the fusion of two gametes that come from one individual. Autogamy is predominantly observed in the form of self-pollination, a reproductive mechanism employed by many flowering plants. However, species o ...

. This occurs when the anther changes from a solid to a liquid state and directly contacts the stigma surface without the aid of any pollinating agent or floral assembly. The labellum of the Cypripedioideae is poke bonnet-shaped, and has the function of trapping visiting insects. The only exit leads to the anthers that deposit pollen on the visitor. In some extremely specialized orchids, such as the Eurasian genus ''

'', the labellum is adapted to have a colour, shape, and odour which attracts male insects via

mimicry In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. Often, mimicry f ...

of a receptive female. Pollination happens as the insect attempts to mate with flowers. Many neotropical orchids are pollinated by male

orchid bees The tribe Euglossini, in the subfamily Apinae, commonly known as orchid bees or euglossine bees, are the only group of corbiculate bees whose non-parasitic members do not all possess eusocial behavior. Description Most of the tribe's species ...

, which visit the flowers to gather volatile chemicals they require to synthesize pheromonal attractants. Males of such species as ''

Euglossa imperialis ''Euglossa imperialis'' is a bee species in the family Apidae. It is considered to be one of the most important pollinators to many Neotropical orchid species in mainland tropical America. It is also one of the most common non-parasitic euglossin ...

'' or ''

Eulaema meriana ''Eulaema meriana'' is a large-bodied bee species in the tribe Euglossini, otherwise known as the orchid bees. The species is a solitary bee and is native to tropical Central and South America. The male collects fragrances from orchid flowers, w ...

'' have been observed to leave their territories periodically to forage for aromatic compounds, such as cineole, to synthesize pheromone for attracting and mating with females. Each type of orchid places the pollinia on a different body part of a different species of bee, so as to enforce proper cross-pollination. A rare achlorophyllous saprophytic orchid growing entirely underground in Australia, ''

Rhizanthella slateri ''Rhizanthella slateri'', commonly known as the eastern underground orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family and is Endemism, endemic to New South Wales. It is a Myco-heterotrophy, mycoheterotrophic Herbaceous plant, herb that ...

'', is never exposed to light, and depends on ants and other terrestrial insects to pollinate it. '' Catasetum'', a genus discussed briefly by Darwin, actually launches its viscid pollinia with explosive force when an insect touches a

seta In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. Th ...

, knocking the pollinator off the flower. After pollination, the sepals and petals fade and wilt, but they usually remain attached to the ovary. In 2011, ''

Bulbophyllum nocturnum ''Bulbophyllum nocturnum'' is a species of epiphytic orchid that grows in New Britain. It was described in 2011, and is the first species of orchid known to consistently flower during the night, and close its flowers during the day. Distributi ...

'' was discovered to flower nocturnally.

Asexual reproduction

Some species, such as in the genera ''Phalaenopsis'', ''Dendrobium'', and ''Vanda'', produce offshoots or plantlets formed from one of the

nodes In general, a node is a localized swelling (a "knot") or a point of intersection (a Vertex (graph theory), vertex). Node may refer to: In mathematics *Vertex (graph theory), a vertex in a mathematical graph *Vertex (geometry), a point where two ...

along the

stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

, through the accumulation of growth hormones at that point. These shoots are known as keiki.

Fruits and seeds

The ovary typically develops into a capsule that is

dehiscent Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part; structures that op ...

by three or six longitudinal slits, while remaining closed at both ends. The

s are generally almost microscopic and very numerous, in some species over a million per capsule. After ripening, they blow off like dust particles or spores. Most orchid species lack

endosperm The endosperm is a tissue produced inside the seeds of most of the flowering plants following double fertilization. It is triploid (meaning three chromosome sets per nucleus) in most species, which may be auxin-driven. It surrounds the embryo and ...

in their seed and must enter symbiotic relationships with various

mycorrhizal A mycorrhiza (from Greek μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. mycorrhizae, mycorrhiza or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plan ...

basidiomycete Basidiomycota () is one of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya (often referred to as the "higher fungi") within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. More specifically, Basi ...

ous

fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

that provide them the necessary nutrients to germinate, so almost all orchid species are mycoheterotrophic during germination and reliant upon fungi to complete their lifecycles. Only a handful of orchid species have seed that can germinate without

mycorrhiza A mycorrhiza (from Greek μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. mycorrhizae, mycorrhiza or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant ...

, namely the species within the genus ''Disa'' with hydrochorous seeds. Disa seedling on a thumbtack

As the chance for a seed to meet a suitable fungus is very small, only a minute fraction of all the seeds released grow into adult plants. In cultivation, germination typically takes weeks.

Horticultural Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

techniques have been devised for germinating orchid seeds on an artificial nutrient medium, eliminating the requirement of the

fungus A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from th ...

for germination and greatly aiding the propagation of ornamental orchids. The usual medium for the sowing of orchids in artificial conditions is

agar Agar ( or ), or agar-agar, is a jelly-like substance consisting of polysaccharides obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae, primarily from ogonori (''Gracilaria'') and "tengusa" (''Gelidiaceae''). As found in nature, agar is ...

gel combined with a

carbohydrate In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or ma ...

energy source. The carbohydrate source can be combinations of discrete sugars or can be derived from other sources such as

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...

, or even

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

puree or

coconut water Coconut water (also coconut juice) is the clear liquid inside coconuts (fruits of the coconut palm). In early development, it serves as a suspension for the endosperm of the coconut during the nuclear phase of development. As growth continue ...

. After the preparation of the agar medium, it is poured into

test tubes Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...

or jars which are then autoclaved (or cooked in a pressure cooker) to sterilize the medium. After cooking, the medium begins to gel as it cools.

Taxonomy

The

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

of this family is in constant flux, as new studies continue to clarify the relationships between species and groups of species, allowing more taxa at several ranks to be recognized. The Orchidaceae is currently placed in the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Asparagales by the

APG III system The APG III system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). Published in 2009, it was superseded in 2016 by a fur ...

of 2009. Five

subfamilies In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

are recognised. The cladogram below was made according to the APG system of 1998. It represents the view that most botanists had held up to that time. It was supported by morphological

studies Study or studies may refer to: General * Education **Higher education * Clinical trial * Experiment * Observational study * Research * Study skills, abilities and approaches applied to learning Other * Study (art), a drawing or series of drawin ...

, but never received strong support in

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

studies. In 2015, a

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

study showed strong statistical support for the following

topology In mathematics, topology (from the Greek language, Greek words , and ) is concerned with the properties of a mathematical object, geometric object that are preserved under Continuous function, continuous Deformation theory, deformations, such ...

of the orchid

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

, using 9 kb of

plastid The plastid (Greek: πλαστός; plastós: formed, molded – plural plastids) is a membrane-bound organelle found in the Cell (biology), cells of plants, algae, and some other eukaryotic organisms. They are considered to be intracellular endosy ...

and

nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: * Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics *Nuclear space *Nuclear ...

DNA from 7

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...

s, a topology that was confirmed by a phylogenomic study in the same year.

Evolution

A study in the scientific journal ''

Nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physics, physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomenon, phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. ...

'' has hypothesised that the origin of orchids goes back much longer than originally expected. An extinct species of stingless bee, ''Proplebeia dominicana'', was found trapped in

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

amber Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In Ma ...

from about 15-20 million years ago. The bee was carrying

of a previously unknown orchid taxon, ''

Meliorchis caribea ''Meliorchis caribea'' is an extinct, early to middle Miocene orchid known only from a packet of pollen attached to the wing of a stingless bee, ''Proplebeia dominicana'', trapped in Dominican amber. It was the first fossil orchid ever describe ...

'', on its wings. This find is the first evidence of fossilised orchids to date and shows insects were active

pollinator A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains. Insects are the maj ...

s of orchids then. This extinct orchid, ''M. caribea'', has been placed within the extant tribe

Cranichideae Cranichideae is an orchid tribe in the subfamily Orchidoideae. See also * Taxonomy of the Orchidaceae The taxonomy of the Orchidaceae (orchid family) has evolved slowly during the last 250 years, starting with Carl Linnaeus who in 1753 recogniz ...

, subtribe Goodyerinae (subfamily Orchidoideae). An even older orchid species, ''

Succinanthera baltica ''Succinanthera baltica'' is an extinct, middle Eocene orchid known only from an anther cap with pollinarium attached to the base of the leg of a female fungus gnat, '' Bradysia'', trapped in Baltic amber. It is the only species in the genus ''S ...

'', was described from the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...

Baltic amber The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of amber, called Baltic amber or succinite. It was produced sometime during the Eocene epoch, but exactly when is controversial. It has been estimated that these forests created more than 1 ...

by Poinar & Rasmussen (2017). Genetic sequencing indicates orchids may have arisen earlier, 76 to 84 million years ago during the

Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', the ...

. According to

Mark W. Chase Mark Wayne Chase (born 1951) is a US-born British botanist. He is noted for work in plant classification and evolution, and one of the instigators of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group-classification for flowering plants which is partly based on DNA ...

''et al.'' (2001), the overall biogeography and phylogenetic patterns of Orchidaceae show they are even older and may go back roughly 100 million years. Using the

molecular clock The molecular clock is a figurative term for a technique that uses the mutation rate of biomolecules to deduce the time in prehistory when two or more life forms diverged. The biomolecular data used for such calculations are usually nucleoti ...

method, it was possible to determine the age of the major branches of the orchid family. This also confirmed that the subfamily Vanilloideae is a branch at the basal dichotomy of the monandrous orchids, and must have evolved very early in the evolution of the family. Since this subfamily occurs worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions, from tropical America to tropical Asia, New Guinea and West Africa, and the continents began to split about 100 million years ago, significant biotic exchange must have occurred after this split (since the age of ''Vanilla'' is estimated at 60 to 70 million years). Genome duplication occurred prior to the divergence of this taxon.

Genera

There are around 800 genera of orchids. The following are amongst the most notable genera of the orchid family: * '' Aa'' * ''

Abdominea ''Robiquetia'', commonly known as pouched orchids, or 寄树兰属 (ji shu lan shu), is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are epiphytes with long, sometimes branched, fibrous stems, leathery le ...

'' * ''

Acampe ''Acampe'', abbreviated as Acp in horticultural trade, is a genus of monopodial, epiphytic vandaceous species of orchids, distributed from tropical Asia from India, eastwards to China and southwards to Malaysia, and the Philippines as well as fr ...

'' * ''

Acanthophippium ''Acanthophippium'' is a genus of orchid with thirteen species (family Orchidaceae). The name of this genus is derived from the Greek words ''acanthos'' ("spiny") and ''ephippion'' ("saddle"), referring to the saddle-like labellum of the plants. ...

'' * '' Aceratorchis'' * ''

Acianthus ''Acianthus'', commonly known as mosquito orchids, is a genus of about twelve species of plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Mosquito orchids are terrestrial herbs with a single, heart-shaped, usually ground-hugging leaf and one to many sma ...

'' * ''

Acineta ''Acineta'', abbreviated as Acn in horticultural trade, is a small genus belonging to the orchid family (Orchidaceae). The name is derived from the Greek word 'akinetos' (immobile), referring to the rigid labellum (lip). These epiphytic orchid ...

'' * ''

Acrorchis ''Acrorchis'' is a monotypic genus from the orchid family (Orchidaceae), subfamily Epidendroideae, tribe Epidendreae, subtribe Laeliinae. The only species, ''Acrorchis roseola'', is an epiphytic orchid that occurs in Costa Rica and Panama at h ...

'' * ''

Ada Ada may refer to: Places Africa * Ada Foah, a town in Ghana * Ada (Ghana parliament constituency) * Ada, Osun, a town in Nigeria Asia * Ada, Urmia, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Ada, Karaman, a village in Karaman Province, Tur ...

'' * ''

Aerangis ''Aerangis'', abbreviated as Aergs in horticultural trade, is a genus of the Orchid family (Orchidaceae). The name of this genus has been derived from the Greek words 'aer' (air) and 'angos' (urn), referring to the form of the lip. It is the type ...

'' * ''

Aeranthes ''Aeranthes'', abbreviated Aerth in the horticultural trade,http://www.rhs.org.uk/RHSWebsite/files/87/87be8b1e-908e-4e04-9ee6-30c438354458.pdf is an orchid genus with 47 species, mostly from shady, tropical humid forests in Zimbabwe, Madagascar a ...

'' * ''

Aerides ''Aerides'', known commonly as cat's-tail orchids and fox brush orchids, is a genus belonging to the orchid family (Orchidaceae, subfamily Epidendroideae, tribe Vandeae, subtribe Aeridinae). It is a group of tropical epiphyte orchids that grow ...

'' * ''

Aganisia ''Aganisia'' is a small South American genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae), subfamily Epidendroideae. The genus was named after the Greek word ‘agnos’ (gratitude), perhaps referring to the sweet scent of its flowers. These dwarf, epiph ...

'' * ''

Agrostophyllum ''Agrostophyllum'' is a genus with about ninety species from the orchid family (Orchidaceae). The genus name is derived from the Greek words ("grass") and ("leaf"), referring to the grass-like appearance of the leaves of some species. These ep ...

'' * '' Anacamptis'' * '' Ancistrochilus'' * '' Angraecum'' * ''

Anguloa ''Anguloa'', commonly known as tulip orchids, is a small orchid genus closely related to ''Lycaste''. Its abbreviation in horticulture is Ang. This genus was described by José Antonio Pavón and Hipólito Ruiz López in 1798. They named it in ho ...

'' * ''

Ansellia ''Ansellia'' is considered a monotypic genus of orchid, with only one species, ''Ansellia africana'', commonly known as African ansellia or leopard orchid, however, it may in fact be a complex group of species which share common floral structure ...

'' * ''

Aorchis ''Galearis'' is a genus of the orchid family (Orchidaceae) native to North America and eastern Asia. It contains about ten recognized species. The family name comes from the Greek word ''orchis'' ('testicle'), in reference to the shape of the ro ...

'' * '' Aplectrum'' * '' Arachnis'' * '' Arethusa'' * ''

Armodorum The genus ''Arachnis'', abbreviated as Arach in horticultural trade, (scorpion orchid,) is a member of the Orchid family (Orchidaceae), consisting of more than 20 species native to China, India, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Gui ...

'' * '' Ascocentrum'' * ''

Ascoglossum ''Renanthera caloptera'' is a species in the family Orchidaceae. It was formerly the only species in the monotypic genus ''Ascoglossum'', abbreviated Ascgm in the horticultural trade. It is endemic to Dinagat Island in the southern Philippines an ...

'' * '' Australorchis'' * ''

Auxopus ''Auxopus'' is a genus of the family Orchidaceae. It belongs to the tribe Gastrodieae. Little is known about the flower structure of members of Gastrodieae, which are saprophytic. ''Auxopus'' are leafless and contain inflorescences of flowers w ...

'' * ''

Baptistonia ''Oncidium'', abbreviated as Onc. in the horticultural trade, is a genus that contains about 330 species of orchids from the subtribe Oncidiinae of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). As presently conceived (May 2014), it is distributed across much ...

'' * '' Barkeria'' * '' Barlia'' * '' Bartholina'' * ''

Beloglottis ''Beloglottis'' is a genus of the family Orchidaceae. This genus belongs to the tribe Cranichideae and subtribe Spiranthinae. Orchids of the genus ''Beloglottis'' are terrestrial sympodial plants that can be used as herbal supplements. They hav ...

'' * ''

Biermannia ''Biermannia'' is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is native to eastern India, China and Southeast Asia. Species The following species are accepted as of May 2014: #''Biermannia arunachalensis'' A.N.Rao - Aru ...

'' * '' Bletilla'' * '' Brassavola'' * ''

Brassia ''Brassia'' is a genus of orchids classified in the subtribe Oncidiinae. It is native to Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and northern South America, with one species (''B. caudata'') extending into Florida. The genus was named afte ...

'' * '' Bulbophyllum'' * ''

Calanthe ''Calanthe'', commonly known as Christmas orchids, is a genus of about 220 species of orchids in the family Orchidaceae. They are evergreen or deciduous terrestrial plants with thick roots, small oval pseudobulbs, large corrugated leaves and upr ...

'' * '' Calypso'' * '' Catasetum'' * '' Cattleya'' * ''

Chiloschista ''Chiloschista'', commonly known as starfish orchids and abbreviated ''Chsch.'', is a genus of usually leafless, epiphytic or lithophytic orchids found in India, Southeast Asia and Australia. Description Orchids in the genus ''Chiloschista'' are ...

'' * '' Cirrhopetalum'' * ''

Cleisostoma ''Cleisostoma'' is a genus of orchids with approximately 90 accepted species widely distributed through much of the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, China, New Guinea, and some of the islands of the Western Pacific. The orchid abbreviation ...

'' * ''

Clowesia ''Clowesia'' is a genus of the family Orchidaceae. Species of this genus are epiphytic and contain many pseudobulbs with several internodes. The leaves of this plant are arranged alternatively in two vertical rows on opposite sides of the rachis. ...

'' * '' Coelogyne'' * '' Coryanthes'' * ''

Cycnoches ''Cycnoches'', abbreviated as Cyc. in the horticultural trade,http://www.rhs.org.uk/RHSWebsite/files/87/87be8b1e-908e-4e04-9ee6-30c438354458.pdf is a genus of 34 currently accepted species of orchids native to South America, Central America and s ...

'' * '' Cymbidium'' * ''

Cyrtopodium ''Cyrtopodium'', often abbreviated Cyrt in horticulture, is a genus of more than 40 species of epiphytic and terrestrial orchids found from Florida and Mexico through Argentina. ''Cyrtopodium'' is the only genus in the monotypic subtribe Cyrtopod ...

'' * '' Cypripedium'' * ''

Dactylorhiza ''Dactylorhiza'' is a genus of flowering plants in the orchid family Orchidaceae. Its species are commonly called marsh orchids or spotted orchids. ''Dactylorhiza'' were previously classified under ''Orchis'', which has two round tubers. Descrip ...

'' * '' Dendrobium'' * '' Disa'' * ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...

'' * ''

Encyclia :''Encyclia'' is also a Greek term for the Codex Encyclius ''Encyclia'' is a genus of orchids. The genus name comes from Greek ''enkykleomai'' ("to encircle"), referring to the lateral lobes of the lip which encircle the column. It is abbreviated ...

'' * '' Epidendrum'' * ''

Epipactis ''Epipactis'', or helleborine, is a genus of terrestrial orchids consisting of approximately 70 species. This genus is abbreviated as Epcts in horticultural trade. Description Their creeping, fleshy rhizomes grow offshoots, from which then eme ...

'' * ''

Eria ''Eria'' is a genus of orchids with more than 50 species distributed in China, the Himalayas, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia. Species ''Eria'' species accepted by the Plants of the Worl ...

'' * ''

Eulophia ''Eulophia'', commonly known as corduroy orchids, is a genus of about two hundred species of flowering plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Most ''Eulophia'' orchids are terrestrial but some are deciduous while others are evergreen. They ei ...

'' * '' Gastrochilus'' * ''

Gongora ''Gongora'', abbreviated Gga in horticultural trade, is a member of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). It consists of 65 species known from Central America, Trinidad, and tropical South America, with most species found in Colombia. They grow acro ...

'' * '' Goodyera'' * '' Grammatophyllum'' * ''

Gymnadenia ''Gymnadenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) containing 22 terrestrial species. The former genus ''Nigritella'' is now included in ''Gymnadenia''. They can be found in damp meadows, fens and marshes, and on ch ...

'' * ''

Habenaria ''Habenaria'', commonly called rein orchids or bog orchids, is a widely distributed genus of orchids in the tribe Orchideae. About 880 species of ''Habenaria'' have been formally described. They are native to every continent except Antarctica, g ...

'' * ''

Herschelia ''Disa'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Orchidaceae. It comprises about 182 species. Most of the species are indigenous to tropical and southern Africa, with a few more in the Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar, and Réunion.Hans Peter ...

'' * ''

Ionopsis ''Ionopsis'' (violet orchid) is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It contains 6 currently accepted species, native to Latin America, the West Indies, and Florida.Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.C. & Rasmussen, ...

'' * '' Laelia'' * ''

Lepanthes ''Lepanthes'' (from Greek "scaled-flower") is a large genus of orchids with about 800–1000 species, distributed in the Antilles and from Mexico through Bolivia (with very few species in Brazil). The genus is abbreviated in horticultural trade a ...

'' * '' Liparis'' * ''

Ludisia ''Ludisia'' (''Lus.'') is a genus of orchids that was thought to contain just one species, ''Ludisia discolor'', commonly referred to as jewel orchid. A second species, ''Ludisia ravanii'', from the Philippines, was described in 2013. ''Ludisia ...

'' * ''

Lycaste ''Lycaste'', abbreviated as Lyc. in horticultural trade, is a genus of orchids that contains about 30 species with egg-shaped pseudobulbs and thin, plicate (pleated) leaves. Description ''Lycaste'' flowers, like all orchid blooms, have three ...

'' * '' Masdevallia'' * '' Maxillaria'' * ''

Meliorchis ''Meliorchis caribea'' is an extinct, early to middle Miocene orchid known only from a packet of pollen attached to the wing of a stingless bee, ''Proplebeia dominicana'', trapped in Dominican amber. It was the first fossil orchid ever describ ...

'' * '' Mexipedium'' * ''

Miltonia ''Miltonia'', abbreviated Milt. in the horticultural trade, is an orchid genus comprising twelve epiphyte species and eight natural hybrids. The miltonias are exclusively inhabitants of Brazil, except for one species whose range extends from Braz ...

'' * ''

Mormodes ''Mormodes'', abbreviated as Morm. in the horticultural trade, is a genus of approximately 70-80 species of terrestrial and epiphytic orchids native to Mexico, Central America and South America South America is a continent entirely in ...

'' * ''

Odontoglossum ''Odontoglossum'', first named in 1816 by Karl Sigismund Kunth, is a genus of about 100 orchids. The scientific name is derived from the Greek words ''odon'' (tooth) and ''glossa'' (tongue), referring to the two tooth-like calluses on the base o ...

'' * ''

Oeceoclades ''Oeceoclades'', collectively known as the monk orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is related to '' Eulophia'' and like that genus is mostly terrestrial in habit. A few species extend into very arid en ...

'' * ''

Oncidium ''Oncidium'', abbreviated as Onc. in the horticultural trade, is a genus that contains about 330 species of orchids from the subtribe Oncidiinae of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). As presently conceived (May 2014), it is distributed across much ...

'' * ''

'' * '' Orchis'' * '' Paphiopedilum'' * ''

Papilionanthe ''Papilionanthe'' (abbreviated ''Ple.'') is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is native to Southeast Asia, southern China, and the Indian Subcontinent. Species *''Papilionanthe biswasiana'' (Ghose & Mukerjee) Ga ...

'' * '' Paraphalaenopsis'' * '' Peristeria'' * ''

Phaius ''Phaius'', commonly known as swamp orchids or in Chinese as 鶴頂蘭屬/鹤顶兰属 (he ding lan shu), is a genus of forty-five species of flowering plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. They are evergreen, terrestrial herbs which form c ...

'' * '' Phalaenopsis'' * '' Pholidota'' * ''

Phragmipedium ''Phragmipedium'' is a genus of the Orchid family (Orchidaceae) (Subfamily Cypripedioideae) and the only genus comprised in the tribe Phragmipedieae and subtribe Phragmipediinae. The name of the genus is derived from the Greek ''phragma'', which ...

'' * ''

Platanthera The genus ''Platanthera'' belongs to the subfamily Orchidoideae of the family Orchidaceae, and comprises about 150 species of orchids. The members of this genus, known as the butterfly orchids or fringed orchids, were previously included in the ...

'' * ''

Platystele ''Platystele'' is a genus of orchids, comprising about 95 species. Most of these have small flowers, some of the smallest in the family. The genus is widespread across Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and South America as far south as Bo ...

'' * '' Pleione'' * '' Pleurothallis'' * ''

Pomatocalpa ''Pomatocalpa'', commonly known as bladder orchids, or 鹿角兰属 (lu jiao lan shu), is a genus of about twenty five species from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are epiphytes or lithophytes with thick, leathery leaves and ...

'' * ''

Promenaea ''Promenaea'' is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It contains 18 currently accepted species (including one that is apparently extinct), all endemic to Brazil. Species #'' Promenaea acuminata'' Schltr. #'' Prome ...

'' * '' Pterostylis'' * ''

Renanthera ''Renanthera'', abbreviated as Ren in horticultural trade, is a genus of large scrambling monopodial epiphytic and terrestrial species of orchid found in China, the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Melanesia.Rice, R. (2008). Renanthera ...

'' * '' Renantherella'' * ''

Restrepia ''Restrepia'', abbreviated Rstp in horticultural trade, is a small genus of 50orchids in the orchid family (Orchidaceae), closely related to ''Pleurothallis''. Named in honor of Don Jose Restrepo, it tends to be more showy than most other Pleur ...

'' * ''

Restrepiella ''Restrepiella'' is a genus of orchid native to Mexico, Colombia, Florida and Central America.Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.C. & Rasmussen, F.N. (2006). Epidendroideae (Part One). Genera Orchidacearum 4: 1-672. Oxford University Press, Ne ...

'' * ''

Rhynchostylis ''Rhynchostylis'' (abbreviated Rhy in the horticultural trade) is a genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae), closely allied to the genus ''Vanda'' (from which it differs in the one-lobed lip of the flower) and comprising four currently accepted ...

'' * '' Roezliella'' * ''

Saccolabium ''Saccolabium'' is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is native to India and Indonesia. In the past, over 350 names have been published for species, subspecies and varieties within the genus, but the vast majority ...

'' * '' Sarcochilus'' * '' Satyrium'' * ''

Seidenfadenia ''Seidenfadenia'' (abbreviated ''Sei.'') is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. ''Seidenfadenia'' and another orchid genus, '' Gunnarella'', are named for Danish botanist Gunnar Seidenfaden. At present (June 2014), ...

'' * ''

Selenipedium ''Selenipedium'' is a genus of the Orchid family (''Orchidaceae'') (Subfamily ''Cypripedioideae''). The genus has been given its own tribe, Selenipedieae, and subtribe, Selenipediinae.Pridgeon, A.M.; Cribb, P.J.; Chase, M.W. & F. N. Rasmussen (19 ...

'' * ''

Serapias ''Serapias'' is a genus of terrestrial orchids that can be found all over southern Europe to Asia Minor. The genus was named after Serapis, a syncretic Hellenistic-Egyptian god in Antiquity. ''Serapias'' have spurless flowers and usually go dorma ...

'' * ''

Sobralia ''Sobralia'' is a genus of orchids native to Mexico, Central and South America. The plants are more commonly terrestrial, but are also found growing epiphytically, in wet forests from sea level to about 8,800 ft. The genus was named for D ...

'' * '' Sophronitis'' * '' Spiranthes'' * '' Stanhopea'' * ''

Stelis ''Stelis'', or leach orchids, is a large genus of orchids, with perhaps 500 species. The generic name ''Stelis'' is the Greek word for ' mistletoe', referring to the epiphytic habit of these species. These mainly epiphytic (rarely lithophytic) ...

'' * ''

Thrixspermum ''Thrixspermum'', commonly known as hairseeds or 白点兰属 (bai dian lan shu), is a genus of flowering plants in the family Orchidaceae. Orchids in this genus are epiphytes, lithophytes or terrestrial plants with flat, leathery leaves and sho ...

'' * '' Tolumnia'' * '' Trias'' * ''

Trichocentrum ''Trichocentrum'', often abbreviated Trctm in horticulture, is a genus in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Dancinglady orchid is a common name for plants in this genus. It was described by Stephan Ladislaus Endlicher and Eduard Friedrich Poeppig i ...

'' * ''

Trichoglottis ''Trichoglottis'', commonly known as cherub orchids or 毛舌兰属 (mao she lan shu), is a genus of flowering plants in the family Orchidaceae. Orchids in this genus are epiphytic plants with thick roots, relatively thick, fibrous stems and man ...

'' * '' Vanda'' * ''

'' * ''

Yoania ''Yoania'' is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Distribution This genus is mainly distributed in Japan, but ''Y. japonica'' is also found in Assam, China, and Taiwan and ''Y. prainii'' is found in the Himalayas and ...

'' * ''

Zeuxine ''Zeuxine'', commonly known as verdant jewel orchids, is a genus of about eighty species of orchids in the tribe Cranichideae. They are native to parts of tropical Africa, Asia, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Australia and some Pacific Islands. They ...

'' * ''

Zygopetalum ''Zygopetalum'' (abbreviated ''Z.''Alphabetical List of Standard Abbreviations for Natural and Hybrid Generic Names, RHS, 2007. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/plant-registration-forms/orchid-name-abbreviations-list.pdf) is a genus of the orch ...

Etymology

The

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

(i.e. the genus after which the family is named) is '' Orchis''. The genus name comes from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

('), literally meaning "

testicle A testicle or testis (plural testes) is the male reproductive gland or gonad in all bilaterians, including humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testostero ...

", because of the shape of the twin tubers in some species of ''Orchis''. The term "orchid" was introduced in 1845 by

John Lindley John Lindley FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist. Early years Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley w ...

in ''School Botany'', as a shortened form of ''Orchidaceae''. In

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...

, the name ''bollockwort'' was used for some orchids, based on "

bollock ''Bollocks'' () is a word of Middle English origin, meaning "testicles". The word is often used figuratively in British English and Hiberno-English in a multitude of negative ways; it most commonly appears as a noun meaning "rubbish" or "nonsen ...

" meaning testicle and " wort" meaning plant.

Hybrids

Orchid species hybridize readily in cultivation, leading to a large number of hybrids with complex naming. Hybridization is possible across genera, and therefore many cultivated orchids are placed into

nothogenera In botanical nomenclature, a hybrid may be given a hybrid name, which is a special kind of botanical name, but there is no requirement that a hybrid name should be created for plants that are believed to be of hybrid origin. The ''International Cod ...

. For instance, the nothogenus × ''Brassocattleya'' is used for all hybrids of species from the genera '' Brassavola'' and '' Cattleya''. Nothogenera based on at least three genera may have names based on a person's name with the suffix '' -ara'', for instance × ''Colmanara'' = ''

'' × ''

''. (The suffix is obligatory starting at four genera.) Cultivated hybrids in the orchid family are also special in that they are named by using

grex Grex or GREX may refer to: * Grex (biology), a multicellular aggregate of amoeba of the phyla Acrasiomycota or Dictyosteliomycota * Grex (horticulture), (pl. greges) a kind of group used in horticultural nomenclature applied to the progeny of an a ...

nomenclature, rather than nothospecies. For instance, hybrids between '' Brassavola nodosa'' and '' Brassavola acaulis'' are placed in the grex ''Brassavola'' Guiseppi. The name of the grex ("Guiseppi" in this example) is written in a non-italic font without quotes.

Abbreviations

As a unique feature of the orchid family, a system of abbreviations exists that applies to names of genera and nothogenera. The system is maintained by the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

. These abbreviations consist of at least one character, but may be longer. As opposed to the usual one-letter abbreviations used for names of genera, orchid abbreviations uniquely determine the (notho)genus. They are widely used in cultivation. Examples are ''Phal'' for '' Phalaenopsis'', ''V'' for '' Vanda'' and ''Cleis'' for ''

''.

Distribution

Orchidaceae are

cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

, occurring in almost every

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

apart from

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...

s. The world's richest diversity of orchid genera and species is found in the

tropics The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

, but they are also found above the

Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...

, in southern Patagonia, and two species of '' Nematoceras'' on Macquarie Island at 54° south. The following list gives a rough overview of their distribution: * Oceania: 50 to 70 genera * North America: 20 to 26 genera * tropical America: 212 to 250 genera * tropical Asia: 260 to 300 genera * tropical Africa: 230 to 270 genera * Europe and temperate Asia: 40 to 60 genera

Ecology

A majority of orchids are

epiphyte An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

s, which grow anchored to

s or

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s in the

and subtropics. Species such as '' Angraecum sororium'' are

s, growing on rocks or very rocky soil. Other orchids (including the majority of

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

Orchidaceae) are terrestrial and can be found in habitat areas such as grasslands or forest. Some orchids, such as '' Neottia'' and ''

'', lack

chlorophyll Chlorophyll (also chlorophyl) is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words , ("pale green") and , ("leaf"). Chlorophyll allow plants to a ...

, so are unable to photosynthesise. Instead, these species obtain energy and nutrients by parasitising soil fungi through the formation of orchid mycorrhizae. The fungi involved include those that form

ectomycorrhizas An ectomycorrhiza (from Greek ἐκτός ', "outside", μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. ectomycorrhizas or ectomycorrhizae, abbreviated EcM) is a form of symbiotic relationship that occurs between a fungal symbiont, or mycobi ...

with trees and other woody plants, parasites such as '' Armillaria'', and saprotrophs. These orchids are known as myco-heterotrophs, but were formerly (incorrectly) described as saprophytes as it was believed they gained their nutrition by breaking down organic matter. While only a few species are achlorophyllous holoparasites, all orchids are myco-heterotrophic during germination and seedling growth, and even photosynthetic adult plants may continue to obtain carbon from their

l fungi. The symbiosis is typically maintained throughout the lifetime of the orchid because they depend on the fungus for nutrients, sugars and minerals. However, some orchids have been found to switch fungal partners during extreme conditions.

Uses

Perfumery

The scent of orchids is frequently analysed by

perfumer A perfumer is an expert on creating perfume compositions, sometimes referred to affectionately as a ''nose'' (French: ''nez'') due to their fine sense of smell and skill in producing olfactory compositions. The perfumer is effectively an artist wh ...

s (using

headspace technology Headspace technology is a technique developed in the 1980s to elucidate the odor compounds present in the air surrounding various objects. Usually the objects of interest are odoriferous objects such as plants, flowers and foods. Similar technique ...

and gas-liquid chromatography/

mass spectrometry Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical technique that is used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. The results are presented as a ''mass spectrum'', a plot of intensity as a function of the mass-to-charge ratio. Mass spectrometry is use ...

) to identify potential fragrance chemicals.

Horticulture

The other important use of orchids is their cultivation for the enjoyment of the flowers. Most cultivated orchids are

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...

, but quite a few that grow in colder climates can be found on the market. Temperate species available at nurseries include '' Ophrys apifera'' (bee orchid), ''

Gymnadenia conopsea ''Gymnadenia conopsea'', commonly known as the fragrant orchid or chalk fragrant orchid, is a herbaceous plant of the family Orchidaceae native to northern Europe. Etymology The name of the genus ''Gymnadenia'' is formed from Greek words (', ...

'' (fragrant orchid), ''

Anacamptis pyramidalis ''Anacamptis pyramidalis'', the pyramidal orchid, is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the genus ''Anacamptis'' of the family Orchidaceae. The scientific name ''Anacamptis'' derives from Greek ανακάμτειν 'anakamptein' meaning 'b ...

'' (pyramidal orchid) and '' Dactylorhiza fuchsii'' (common spotted orchid). Orchids of all types have also often been sought by collectors of both species and hybrids. Many hundreds of societies and clubs worldwide have been established. These can be small, local clubs, or larger, national organisations such as the

American Orchid Society The American Orchid Society (AOS) is a horticultural society for education, conservation, and research of orchids. It was founded in 1921, and has an international membership. It is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. It has been called an "indus ...

. Both serve to encourage cultivation and collection of orchids, but some go further by concentrating on conservation or research. The term "botanical orchid" loosely denotes those small-flowered, tropical orchids belonging to several genera that do not fit into the "florist" orchid category. A few of these genera contain enormous numbers of species. Some, such as '' Pleurothallis'' and '' Bulbophyllum'', contain approximately 1700 and 2000 species, respectively, and are often extremely vegetatively diverse. The primary use of the term is among orchid hobbyists wishing to describe unusual species they grow, though it is also used to distinguish naturally occurring orchid species from horticulturally created hybrids. New orchids are registered with the International Orchid Register, maintained by the

Food

The dried seed pods of one orchid genus, ''

'' (especially ''

Vanilla planifolia ''Vanilla planifolia'' is a species of vanilla orchid. It is native to Mexico and Belize. It is one of the primary sources for vanilla flavouring, due to its high vanillin content. Common names include flat-leaved vanilla, and West Indian vanil ...

''), are commercially important as a flavouring in

baking Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot stones. The most common baked item is bread but many other types of foods can be baked. Heat is gradually transferred " ...

, for

perfume Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...

manufacture and aromatherapy. The underground tubers of terrestrial orchids ainly ''Orchis mascula'' (early purple orchid)">Orchis_mascula.html" ;"title="ainly ''Orchis mascula">ainly ''Orchis mascula'' (early purple orchid)are ground to a powder and used for cooking, such as in the hot beverage ''salep'' or in the Turkish cuisine, Turkish mastic ice cream ''dondurma''. The name ''salep'' has been claimed to come from the Arabic expression ', "fox testicles", but it appears more likely the name comes directly from the Arabic name '. The similarity in appearance to testes naturally accounts for ''salep'' being considered an aphrodisiac. The dried leaves of '' Jumellea fragrans'' are used to flavour rum on Reunion Island. Some saprophytic orchid species of the group ''

Gastrodia ''Gastrodia'', commonly known as potato orchids or as 天麻属 (tian ma shu), is a genus of terrestrial leafless orchids in the family Orchidaceae, about ninety of which have been described. Orchids in this genus have fleshy, upright stems and ...

'' produce potato-like tubers and were consumed as food by native peoples in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and can be successfully cultivated, notably ''

Gastrodia sesamoides ''Gastrodia sesamoides'', commonly known as cinnamon bells or common potato orchid in Australia and as the pot-bellied orchid or cinnamon sticks in New Zealand, is a leafless, terrestrial saprophytic orchid in the family Orchidaceae. It has a t ...

''. Wild stands of these plants can still be found in the same areas as early Aboriginal settlements, such as

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is a national park on the northern side of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. The park is north of the Sydney central business district and generally comprises the land east of the M1 Pacific Motorway, sout ...

. Aboriginal peoples located the plants in habitat by observing where bandicoots had scratched in search of the tubers after detecting the plants underground by scent.

Cultural symbolism

Orchids have many associations with symbolic values. For example, the orchid is the City Flower of Shaoxing, China. ''

Cattleya mossiae ''Cattleya mossiae'' (literally 'Moss' Cattleya'), commonly known as the Easter orchid, is a species of labiate ''Cattleya'' orchid. The white-flowered form is sometimes known as ''Cattleya wagneri''. The diploid chromosome number of ''C. ...

'' is the national Venezuelan flower, while ''

Cattleya trianae ''Cattleya trianae'' (Lind. & Rchb. fil), also known as ''Flor de Mayo'' ("May flower") or "Christmas orchid", is a plant of the family Orchidaceae. It grows as an epiphytic orchid, with succulent leaves, endemic to Colombia where it was nomina ...

'' is the national flower of

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

. ''Vanda'' Miss Joaquim is the national flower of

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

, ''

Guarianthe skinneri ''Guarianthe skinneri'' is a species of orchid. It is native to Costa Rica; from Chiapas to every country in Central America. ''Guarianthe skinneri'' is the national flower of Costa Rica, where it is known as guaria morada. It was referenced as ...

'' is the national flower of

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

and ''

Rhyncholaelia digbyana ''Rhyncholaelia digbyana'' is a species of orchid occurring from Honduras to Belize, Guatemala, Mexico and Costa Rica. ''Rl. digbyana'' can be distinguished from the other species of ''Rhyncholaelia'' ('' Rl. glauca'') by the frilled labellum. ...

'' is the national flower of

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

. ''

Prosthechea cochleata ''Prosthechea cochleata'', commonly referred to as the clamshell orchid or cockleshell orchid, is an epiphytic, sympodial New World orchid native to Central America, the West Indies, Colombia, Venezuela, and southern Florida. It is also known as ...

'' is the national flower of

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

, where it is known as the ''black orchid''. ''

Lycaste skinneri ''Lycaste skinneri'', also known as ''Lycaste virginalis'', is a species of epiphyte Orchidaceae, orchid that resides in the south of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, at an average altitude of 1650 meters above sea level. Description ...

'' has a white variety (alba) that is the national flower of

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

, commonly known as ''Monja Blanca'' (White Nun).

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

's national flower is the ''Holy Ghost orchid'' (''

Peristeria elata ''Peristeria elata'' is a species of orchid occurring from Central America to Panamá, Venezuela, and Ecuador. It is the type species of its genus. It is commonly referred to as the Holy Ghost orchid, dove orchid, or flower of the Holy Spirit in ...

''), or 'the flor del Espiritu Santo'. ''Rhynchostylis'' ''retusa'' is the state flower of the Indian state of

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

where it is known as ''Kopou Phul.'' Orchids native to the Mediterranean are depicted on the '' Ara Pacis'' in Rome, until now the only known instance of orchids in ancient art, and the earliest in European art. A and B Larsen orchids - Cattleya Mrs Mahler Mem Fred Tompkins 659-9.jpg, ''Cattleya'' Mrs. Mahler 'Mem. Fred Tompkins' File:A and B Larsen orchids - Cattleya Queen Sirikhit Diamond Crown DSCN4414.JPG, ''Cattleya'' Queen

Sirikit Queen Sirikit ( th, สิริกิติ์; ; ); born ''Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara ( th, สิริกิติ์ กิติยากร; ; 12 August 1932) is the queen mother of Thailand. She was List of Thai royal consorts, ...

'Diamond Crown' A and B Larsen orchids - Cattleya Hawaiian Wedding Song Virgin 674-23.jpg, ''Cattleya'' Hawaiian Wedding Song 'Virgin' Blc Chia-lin.jpg, ''Rhyncholaeliocattleya'' Chia Lin A and B Larsen orchids - Cattleya Hawaian Variable Prasan 336-2.jpg, ''Cattleya'' Hawaiian Variable 'Prasan' File:A and B Larsen orchids - Cattleya Barbara Belle DSCN8696.JPG, ''Cattlianthe'' Barbara Belle File:Cattleya Beaumesnil Parme 1001 Orchids.jpg, ''Cattleya'' Beaumesnil 'Parme' File:A and B Larsen orchids - Cattleya Chocolate Drop x Pao de Acucar 507-21.jpg, ''Cattlianthe'' Chocolate Drop x ''Cattleya'' Pão de Açúcar File:Cattleya Empress Frederick C mossiae.jpg, ''

'' 'Empress Frederick' File:Cattleya Hermine.jpg, 'Hermine' File:A and B Larsen orchids - Cattleya Little AngelDSCN3349.JPG, ''Cattleya'' Little Angel File:A and B Larsen orchids - Cattleya Marjorie Hausermann York 812-4.jpg, ''Cattleya'' Marjorie Hausermann 'York' File:A and B Larsen orchids - Cattleya Miva Breeze Alize 930-23.jpg, 'Miva Breeze Alize' File:Blc Nobiles carnival.jpg, ''Rhyncholaeliocattleya'' 'Nobile's carnival' File:Cattleya Pernell George Barnett "Yankee Clipper" (3072486817).jpg, ''Cattleya'' Pernel George Barnett 'Yankee Clipper' File:Cattleya Portia.jpg, ''Cattlianthe'' Portia

Conservation

Almost all orchids are included in Appendix II of the

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...

(CITES), meaning that international trade (including in their parts/derivatives) is regulated by the CITES permit system. A smaller number of orchids such as ''Paphiopedilum'' sp. are listed in CITES Appendix I meaning that commercial international trade in wild-sourced specimens is prohibited and all other trade is strictly controlled.

Assisted migration as conservation tool

In 2006 the Longtan Dam was constructed at the

Hongshui River The Hongshui River is a major river in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern China. It is one of the main rivers in the basin of the Xi River, which in its turn is one of the main tributaries of the Pearl River. Because it flows thro ...

, near the Yachang Orchid Nature Reserve. In response to threats of inundation of wild orchids at lower altitudes (350-400 m above sea level), 1000 endangered orchid plants of 16 genera and 29 species were translocated to higher elevation (approximately 1000 m above sea level). After relocation the 5 year survival of low and wide elevation species did not significantly differ and the mortality due to transplant shock was at only 10%. From this it was concluded that

assisted migration According to ''A Dictionary of Ecology'', assisted migration is "the intentional establishment of populations or meta-populations beyond the boundary of a species' historic range for the purpose of tracking suitable habitats through a period of c ...

might be a viable conservation tool for orchid species endangered by

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

Description

Stem and roots

Leaves

Flowers

Reproduction

Pollination

Asexual reproduction

Fruits and seeds

Taxonomy

Evolution

Genera

Etymology

Hybrids

Abbreviations

Distribution

Ecology

Uses

Perfumery

Horticulture

Food

Cultural symbolism

Conservation

Assisted migration as conservation tool

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links