Orchids

Orchids

Orchids, part of the Orchidaceae family, Currently boasting over 21 thousand species is defiantly something to marvel at. One of the more famous plants of the orchidaceae family is the vanilla plant. Also horticulturists have created over 100 thousand hybrids and cultivars. This truly is a very adaptable plant in all conditions. They occur in almost all habitats except the glaciers. The highest saturations of orchids is found in the Himalayan region within Nepel.

What are some charteristics of orchids? Thy are very easly distiquished from other plants, because they share some very prominent apomorphies some of these may be; Many resupinate, one petal is almost always highly modified, stamens and carbles are fused together, and the seeds are extremely small. Orchids are perennial herbs they also lack a permanent “woody” structure. They grow in two patterns.

Monopodial is the first pattern in which some orchids grow. This intails that the stem grows from a singal bud. Leaves are added from the apex, each year the stem grows longer accordingly. Stems of orchids with this growth pattern can reach several meters in height. Sympodial is the second growth patern. These plants produce multiple adjacent shoots which grow to a specific size. Then the bloom and stop growing to then be replaced. Sypodial orchids often grow more laterally than vertically, following the suface of its support.

Like most monocots orchids tend to have basic leaves with parallel veins. Vanillooidea although has reticulate venation. They may be ovate, lanceolate, or orbiculate. The leaves are also often fibrous. The structure of the leaves varies depending on the specific habitat of the plant.

Orchids have developed highly specialized pollination networks and thus the chances of being pollinated are often scarce. This is why orchid flowers usually remain receptive for very long periods and why most orchids deliver pollen in a sing group; each time pollination succeeds, thousands of ovules can be fertilized. Pollinators are often visually attracted by the shape and colors of the labellum. The flowers may produce attractive odors. Although absent in most species, nectar may be produced in a spur of the labellum, on the point of the sepals or in the septa of the ovary, the most typical position amongst the Asparaguses. One orchid genus, Vanilla, is commercially important, used as a flavoring.

The underground tubers of terrestrial orchids mainly 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 frozen treat dondurma It has been claimed that the name salep comes from the Arabic expression “ḥasyu al-tha`lab”, "fox testicles", however, it appears more likely that the Turkish name salep comes from the Arabic name “saḥlab”‎. The similarity in appearance to testes naturally accounts for salep being considered an aphrodisiac.