What is Orchid

Orchid is a kind of orchid, which is widely distributed all over China. Cultivated in China for more than 2,000 years, orchids have always been regarded as a symbol of purity and elegance, and together with "Plum, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum", they are collectively known as "The Four Gentlemen", and are one of the ten most famous flowers in China. Orchids are generally epiphytic or terrestrial herbs, with several to many leaves, usually at the base of the pseudobulb or lower nodes, biseriate, banded or rarely oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, with a broad sheath at the base and encircling the pseudobulb, jointed; the racemes are several-flowered or many-flowered, and the colors are white, pure white, white-green, yellow-green, light yellow, light yellowish-brown, yellow, red, blue, and violet.

Morphological features

Orchid

Epiphytic or terrestrial herbs, rarely putrefactive, usually with pseudobulbs; pseudobulbs ovoid, ellipsoid, or spindle-shaped, less often absent or prolonged into stalks, usually enclosed within sheaths at the base of the leaves. Leaves several to many, usually borne on basal or lower nodes of pseudobulbs, distichous, strap-shaped or rarely oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, base usually with broad sheaths and enclosing pseudobulbs, jointed.

Scapes lateral or arising from base of pseudobulb, erect, recurved or pendulous; racemes several-flowered or many-flowered, less frequently reduced to single flowers; bracteoles long or short, not falling at anthesis; flowers large or moderately large; sepals free from petals, ± similar; labellum 3-lobed, base sometimes united with gynostegium to 3-6 mm; lateral lobes erect, often ± enclosing gynostegium, middle lobe generally recurved; labellar disc with 2 longitudinal folds, usually extending from base of pseudobulb. longitudinal folded segments, usually extending from base to base of middle lobe, sometimes inflated at end or disconnected at middle, less often united; gynostegium longer, often more or less curved forward, winged on both sides, ventrally concave or sometimes with short hairs, pollinia 2, y fissured, or 4 and forming 2 pairs of unequal size, waxy, attached to sub-triangular mucronate discs by very short, elastic stalks of pollinia.

The flower usually seen consists of several parts, including the pedicel, receptacle, calyx, corolla, gynoecium and androecium. The orchid is a peculiar flower and its peculiarity lies in its distinctive flower structure. Orchid structure is peculiar in order to adapt to insect pollination, and with a stamen column, beak, pollen mass and labellum, etc., plus, orchids for the two sides of the symmetrical flowers, the base of the labellum to form a nectar gland with the capsule and the pitch, the number of stamens is reduced, the ovary is inferior, the flowers of various shapes, sizes and colors, most of them are herbaceous, epiphytic or putrefactive.

The flower usually seen consists of several parts such as pedicel, receptacle, calyx, corolla, gynoecium and androecium.

Orchids also have these structures, with the difference that they usually have a labellum. Orchids have six perianths (the calyx is not clearly distinguishable from the petals and are collectively referred to as the perianth), which are divided into inner and outer whorls, with one of the inner whorls specializing into a labellum. The role of the labellum is to attract insects for pollination and to provide a platform for insects to stop.

The pedicel and ovary of most orchids are twisted 180°.

Assuming the ovary is not twisted, the orchid looks like this.

Have pollen clusters: orchid pollen is usually bonded into clusters, called pollen clusters, which serve to make it easier for insects to take all of the pollen with them when they pollinate the flower, increasing the efficiency of pollination. When the insect enters the next flower, the pollen mass taken out can automatically adjust its direction so that it just touches the sticky stigma, thus completing the cross-flower pollination.

Staminal column: Except for the ovary, the entire male and female organs of orchids are completely fused into a column, called the staminal column. The formation of the stigmatic column separates the male and female stamens in space and promotes cross-pollination.

Staminal beak: Between the stigma and anthers of orchids, there is a tongue-like organ (originating from the upper lobe of the stigma) called the staminal beak, which is unique to orchids, and its main function is to prevent self-pollination.

Growth habit

Shade-loving, afraid of direct sunlight; like wet, avoid dry; like fertile, rich in a lot of humus; suitable for the environment of air circulation

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