Anatomy of an Orchid

Orchids are an exquisite flowering plant with around 30,000 different species. Undoubtedly, the most popular plant to cross pollinate among horticulturist. There exist 100,000+ hybrid species of orchids. Newly adapted forms, consisting of 800, of this flowering plant are made each year. These inspiring plants can be found everywhere from Brazil to Tasmania. Orchids can even be found in Antarctica. Orchids are considered the most advanced floral evolution.

All orchids are protected by CITES. Thought to be potentially be endangered in their natural habitat, orchids are overseen by international and national legislation. Hybrids are supposed to be specifically exempted, but hybrid orchids are not allowed into the United States without a CITES permit. Officials state that it's too hard to tell an original species from a hybrid.

The word orchid is originated from the Greek word orchids. Orchids means "testical" in Greek and describes the structure of the plant. Thoephrastos, the father of botany, named this flowering plant. Most orchids display five basic features:

1. The presence of a colum. A colum is a reproductive structure that is derived from the fusion of both male and female parts into a single organ. This makes pollination possible.

2. The flower is bilaterally symmetric. This means orchids have a balanced distribution of duplicate body parts and shapes.

3. The pollen of the orchids are glued together into the pollinia. A pollinia is a mass of waxy pollen grains, that are transmitted during fertilization.

4. The seeds of this plant are microscopically small and lack food reserves. Lacking in food reserves inhibits leaf growth. There are notable exceptions, such as Disa Cardinalis, where seeds may grow to a length of 1.1 mm.

5. Seeds of orchids can, under natural circumstances, only germinate when in harmony with a specialized fungi. This dependent relationship between two different types of organisms is known as symbiosis. In artificial circumstances germination is possible using an "in vitro" method. Agar is substituted for the special fungi. Agar is a gelatinous substance and can also be used as a laxative, vegetarian gelatin, soup thickener, or ice cream.

Orchid leaves are structured simply and have veins that run parallel. Their shape is highly variable between species; ovate, lanceolate, or orbiculate. The shape of the leaves is one way to distinguish between the different species. The structure of the leaves corresponds to the specific habitat of the orchid. Growing on sites that can be very dry or dark create orchid leaves that are thick and leathery. Their laminas are covered by a waxy cuticle. This waxy cuticle helps to retain a supply of water. Shade species, on the other hand, have tall, thin leaves. They cannot tolerate a drop in atmospheric humidity. Exposure to direct sunlight is also harmful. Between these two extremes, there is a whole range of intermediate forms. Some species, especially those with plicate leaves, shed their aged leaves annually. Other orchid leaves can live for several years. The colors of leaves so beautiful, ranging from gold, pink, brown, and green, they can be breath taking.

The stem of an orchid determines the habit of the species. Each type of stem can grow in one of these two ways monopodial or sympodial. Monopodial is referred to as "one-footed" and grow upwards from a single stem. Sympodial means "many-footed" and produces a series of adjacent shoots. These shoots grow to a certain size, bloom, then stop growing, to be replaced by the next growth. Orchids have a thick stem. These stems can contain nutrients and water for long periods. This thick stem helps the plant's survival in dry climates.

All orchids are perennial herbs and lack any permanent woody structure. In colder climates orchids are rooted in soil. In warmer regions the orchid roots do not require soil. They use an epidermis to grasp onto a tree for support. Nutrients are absorbed from animal droppings that wash down, their supporting tree, when it rains. The epidermic roots also contain chlorophyll and take up carbon dioxide. Another type of orchid species grows on rocks. These are known as lithophytes and can be found in Brazil, Africa, and Australia. Lithophytes can feed off of dead tissue or moss.

The basic orchid flower is composed of three pedals in the inner whorl. There are three more pedals, or sepals, in the outer whorl. The flower part of the orchid is specially designed to attract bees, insects, birds, and even bats. The flowers can grow from the pseudobulb, apex, or a node between the leaf axil and the plant axis. A pseudobulb is a storage organ located on the stem between two leaf nodes. Flowers that grow from the orchid's apex develop in the center. These plants resemble a Hawaiian tropical flower. Orchid flowers that grow from the nodes are referred to as axillary plants. Axillary orchids are monopedial and can bloom many or just a few pedals. Most pedals show a yellow-brown color with brown markings. These orchids can also appear in white, green, orange, red and burgundy shades.

The reproductive organs are located in the center of the flower. A cylindrical structure, called the colum, forms these reproductive organs. A stigma holds the pollinia in place on a sticky pad called a viscidium. The pollinia is useful in determining the genus and are held together by the alkaloid. The viscidium adheres to the body of a visiting insect. On top of the pollinia is the anther cap. The anther cap protects against self-pollenation. At the upper edge of the stigma of single-anthered orchids, in front of the anther cap, is the rostellum. The rostellum is a slender beak like extension. The orchid ovary is located behind the flower. The sepals and petals fade once pollination has occurred. Leaving only the ovary to exist. Producing many seeds the ovary will take 2- 8 months to give birth. The process of birth consist of blowing off like dust particles, and entering symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi to germinate.

The finest collections of orchids in cultivation open to the public are located in Singapore. Taiwan has developed an industrial park dedicated to these magnificent plants. Most states in the U.S. feature their own orchid botanical garden. Atanta has an indoor exhibit with many exciting species of orchids. These flowering attractions have become a major market throughout the world. Buyers now bid hundreds of dollars on new hybrids or improved ones. Apparent ease in the hybridization of orchids makes them one of the most popular cut-flowers on the market. Though orchid hybridization has been happening for many years, only recently has new technology made it into what it is.