Abstract
Orchidaceae is the largest family of flowering plants in the world, having conquered every continent except Antarctica. As of 2017, the number of genera is somewhere between 736 and 900, with 28,000 species, but this number is increasing every year [1]. This is out of approximately 300,000 flowering plant species in total. About 14,000 of the orchid species are epiphytes, in that they grow on trees, although they take nothing from the tree except a perch for support. Epiphytes are mostly found in Mexico, Central and South America, as well as Asia and the Pacific Islands. Terrestrial orchids are mostly found in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
“They have come twelve thousand miles to look at a flower?” Bati asked me in Malay.
“It is true,” I replied.
“Can you eat this flower?” Katong asked.
“No.”
“Is it used for medicine?”
“No.”
“What do they want to do with this flower?”
“Take photographs and measure the leaves.”
Eric Hansen in Orchid Fever
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
M.J.M. Christenhusz and J.W. Byng, The number of known plant species in the world and its annual increase, Phytotaxa, 261 (3), 201–217, 2016.
Gustavo A. Romero-González and Carlos Gómez, Collecting Orchids, ReVisita, Harvard Review of Latin America, Fall, 2008; Illustrated World Compendium of Orchids – List of Taxa: https://worldplants.webarchiv.kit.edu/orchids/statistics.php
The name is now properly: International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN).
M.W. Chase, et al., An updated classification of Orchidaceae, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 177(2):151–174, 2015, lists 736 orchid genera; A.M. Pridgeon, et al., Genera Orchidacearum, Oxford University Press, 1999–2014, lists 765 orchid genera. The IOSPE: http://www.orchidspecies.com/ lists 856 orchid genera. The plant list: http://www.thep lantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Orchidaceae/ lists 899 orchid genera.
Personal communication.
Darwin, Contrivances, 2nd ed. p.307.
R.B. Singer, et al., Orchid Pollinia or Pollinaria for taxonomic identification, Selbyana 29(1), 6–19, 2008.
The article: J. He, et al., Responses of Green Leaves and Green Pseudobulbs of CAM Orchid Cattleya laeliocattleya Aloha Case to Drought Stress, J. of Botany, Vol. 2013, 2013, 9 pp, was a study of a CAM Laeliocattleya hybrid, but contains other references of non-CAM epiphytes.
As quoted in: K. Silvera, Crassulacean Acid Metabolism and epiphytism linked to adaptive radiations in the Orchidaceae, Plant Physiology, 149(4), 1838–1847, 2009.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/epiphyte78/galleries/72157649154617841/#photo_10571015796
B.G. Bag, et al., Study of Antioxidant Property of the Pseudobulb Extract of Crepidium acuminatum (Jeevak) and its use in the Green Synthesis of Gold nanoparticles, Int. J. Res. Chem. Environ., 4 (3), 133–138, 2014.
E.A. Tsavkelova, Bacteria Associated with Orchids, Chap. 11 in: Bacteria in Agrobiology: Plant Growth Responses, Springer, 221–258, 2011.
L. van der Pijl, and C.H. Dodson, Orchid Flowers: Their Pollination and Evolution, University of Miami Press, Coral Gables, 1966.
C. Siegel, Orchids and Hummingbirds: Sex in the fast lane, Orchid Digest, Jan., Feb., Mar., 8–17, 2011.
Contrivances 2nd ed., p.277/278.
The term mycorrhizal simply refers to the symbiotic relationship between the fungus and plant.
S.E. Smith and D.J. Read, Mycorrhizal Symbiosis, Academic Press, New York, 1997.
Contrivances, 2nd ed. p.278/80.
For details: http://www.orchideenvermehrung.at/english/nodes/in%20soil/index.htm.
M. Selosse, et al., Noël Bernard (1874-1911): Orchids to symbiosis in a dozen years, one century ago, Symbiosis, 54(2), 2011, 61–68.
As reproduced in preceding reference.
L. Knudson, Nonsymbiotic germination of orchid seeds. Bot. Gaz.,73, 1–25, 1922; L. Knudson, A new nutrient solution for germination of orchid seed. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull., 15, 214–217.
See the website: https://www.flickr.com/photos/63394592@N08/12166496555/in/photolist-aejVoX-yLzAqM-smov2C-jx7txZ-jx8A4R-jx9tEs-gfS2Wr-9Mi6rM/
J. Arditti, Micropropagation of Orchids, John Wiley & Sons, 2009, Vol. 1, p.24.
Ibid., Chapter 1, see also the article: History of Orchid Propagation, AsPac J. Mol. Biol. Biotechnol., 18 (1), 171–174, 2010, which is available online.
C.J. Schofield, The allure of the orchids, New Scientist, 22/29 Dec., 1983, p.914.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Schiff, J.L. (2018). What Are Orchids?. In: Rare and Exotic Orchids. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70034-2_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70034-2_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-70033-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-70034-2
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)