Orchid
Name: From the Greek "orchis" meaning
testicle, because of the shape of the bulbous roots.
Origin: Indigenous to tropical
and semi-tropical regions of the world such as Asia, South
and Central America. Some are native
to the UK.
Colour: Everything except blue
- there are even black and green orchids.
Family: Orchids are the largest
family of the plant kingdom with over 25,000 naturally occurring
species
in the world, as well
as all the specially-developed hybrids! Most houseplant
orchids are either Phalaenopsis (fa-le-NOP-sis) (moth orchid),
dendrobium,
vanda, paphiopedilum (paff-eeo-PEDDY-lum) (slipper orchid)
or cymbidium (sim-BIDDY-um).
Care Tips: Orchids can last
2 or 3 weeks cut and over a month on the plant. They like regular
misting.
Some,
like Phalaenopsis
adapt to central heating better than others.
Facts: The world's largest orchid can grow to 20 metres long.
History: Confucius acknowledged
orchids saying, "the association
with a superior person is like entering a hall of orchids".
In 1595 a Chinese flower-arranging book "A Treatise of Vase
Flowers" by Chang Ch'ien -te said orchids were in the
top ranking of desirability.
