Facts about Orchid
The largest orchid in the world, the Giant Orchid (Grammatophyllum speciosum), has pseudobulbs with lengths of 2–3 meters.
The structure of the leaves corresponds to the specific habitat of the orchid.
Orchids, like the grasses and the palms that they resemble in some ways—for instance the form of their leaves—are monocotyledons.
In an example like this, the sepals are very prominent, especially in lycaste orchids, the actual petals become diminished and inconspicuous.
Some orchids only grow one flower on each stem, others sometimes more than a hundred together on a single spike.
The variety and the refinement of orchids' reproductive methods are truly amazing.
By 1802 orchids were being raised from seed and in 1856 the first artificially produced hybrid orchid bloomed.
The Jewel Orchid (Ludisia discolor) is grown more for its colorful leaves than its fairly inconspicuous white flowers.
No plant family has as many different types of flowers as the orchid family.
Many wild orchid species are threatened by people collecting them for sale to orchid fanciers and nurseries.
Some orchids are reliant solely on this deception for pollination.
Orchids have a reputation for beauty and mystery and have long been cultivated.
The growing of orchid plants for hobbyists and also for cut flowers has become an important industry in many countries.
Their size and shape can be an aid in identifying the orchid, since it reflects the taxonomic position.
When the orchid has aged and the pseudobulb has shed its leaves, the pseudobulb becomes dormant and is called a backbulb.
Some orchids have hidden or extremely small pseudobulbs hidden completely inside leaves.
Vanilla, Vanilla planifolia (and two other Vanilla species less commonly grown), is the only orchid that is grown for food or any other use besides its beauty (with a few minor exceptions).
Orchids have been cultivated for over three thousand years, starting in China.
Under its authority, all orchid species are protected for the purposes of international commerce as potentially threatened or endangered in their natural habitat, with most species listed under Appendix II.
Orchids are most notable to humans for the beauty and variety of their flowers.
On many orchids, the lip (labellum) serves as a landing pad for flying insects.
The basic orchid flower is composed of three sepals in the outer whorl, and three petals in the inner whorl.
Most African orchids are white, while Asian orchids are often multicolored.
Orchids (Orchidaceae family) are the largest and most diverse of the flowering plant families, with over eight hundred described genera and 25,000 species.
Orchids get their name from the Greek orchis, meaning "testicle," from the appearance of subterranean tuberoids of the genus Orchis.