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Orchids pictures

Orchidaceae, usually referred to as the Orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. It is currently believed to be the largest family of flowering plants with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species, found in 880 genera.

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Orchids of love

Love is a feeling; an emotion which alone can aid in transcending all realities. Celebrate the feeling of falling in love; illustrate your love to that special someone with the subtle splendor of the orchids and feel the very beat of "love" within your pulses. The Orchid Flowers with its delicate grace, dainty magnificence and exquisite beauty is the flower of love; that actually brings out the message of love, passion and obsession amidst the lustrous shimmer of its tender petals and fragile prettiness.

Whether it is the rosy blush of the red orchids or the pink romance or whether it is the purple passion of the violet orchids or the white pallor of the white ones - orchid with its luster and brilliance is the flower to redefine "passion" whilst diffusing the message of love, lust, beauty and fervor in an eloquent way.

As soon as the frost melts with the kiss of the summer sun, it is the very sweet reek of the orchids that remind of the "lazy days of the fragrant zephyr". The not so real look of the wild orchids with its amazing colors ranging from vibrant yellow to soft lilac, from exotic blue to dreamy purple, from tender pink to rich gold embellishes this flower as typically the bloom to say silently -"You are my desire... My today and tomorrow... Be mine always!" the frilly lips of the orchids epitomize love, luxury and beauty—Illustrate your feelings; appreciate her beauty with the mysterious brilliance of orchids to whisper silently - "Its indeed a great feeling to be in love with you!"

Romance has enlaced this flower since ages. In the long gone era these orchids were classically used as the aphrodisiacs. Have you ever seen an orchid in your dreams? It is said that that the flower with its delicacy and beauty is whispering you about your deep inner feelings. Rekindle your emotion; relive your passion with the charismatic brilliance of orchids; Send her Orchid Flowers on this valentine day to add that special touch in your love life.

About Orchids or Orchidaceae

Orchidaceae are well known for the many structural variations in their flowers.

Some orchids have single flowers but most have a racemose inflorescence, sometimes with a large number of flowers. The flowering stem can be basal, that is produced from the base of the tuber, like in Cymbidium, apical, meaning it grows from the apex of the main stem, like in Cattleya, or axillary, from the leaf axil, as in Vanda. As an apomorphy of the clade, orchid flowers are primitively zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical), although in some genera like Mormodes, Ludisia, Macodes this kind of symmetry may be difficult to notice.

The orchid flower, like most flowers of monocots has two whorls of sterile elements. The outer whorl has three sepals and the inner whorl has three petals. The sepals are usually very similar to the petals (and thus called tepals), but may be completely distinct.

The upper medial petal, called the labellum or lip, is always modified and enlarged. The inferior ovary or the pedicel usually rotates 180 degrees, so that the labellum, goes on the lower part of the flower, thus becoming suitable to form a platform for pollinators. This characteristic, called resupination occurs primitively in the family and is considered apomorphic (the torsion of the ovary is very evident from the picture). Some orchids have secondarily lost this resupination, e. g. Zygopetalum and Epidendrum secundum.

The normal form of the sepals can be found in Cattleya, where they form a triangle. In Paphiopedilum (Venus slippers) the lower two sepals are fused together into a synsepal, while the lip has taken the form of a slipper. In Masdevallia all the sepals are fused. Orchid flowers with abnormal numbers of petals or lips are called peloric. Peloria is a genetic trait, but its expression is environmentally influenced and may appear random.

Orchid flowers primitively had three stamens, but this situation is now limited to the genus Neuwiedia. Apostasia and the Cypripedioideae have two stamens, the central one being sterile and reduced to a staminode. All of the other orchids, the clade called Monandria, retain only the central stamen, the others being reduced to staminodes. The filaments of the stamens are always adnate (fused) to the style to form cylindrical structure called the gynostemium or column. In the primitive Apostasioideae this fusion is only partial, in the Vanilloideae it is more deep, while in Orchidoideae and Epidendroideae it is total. The stigma is very asymmetrical as all of its lobes are bent towards the centre of the flower and lay on the bottom of the column.

Pollen is released as single grains, like in most other plants, in the Apostasioideae, Cypripedioideae and Vanilloideae. In the other subfamilies, that comprise the great majority of orchids, the anther , carries and two pollinia.

A pollinium is a waxy mass of pollen grains held together by the glue-like alkaloid viscin, containing both cellulosic stands and mucopolysaccharides. Each pollinium is connected to a filament which can take the form of a caudicle, like in Dactylorhiza or Habenaria or a stipe, like in Vanda. Caudicles or stipes hold the pollinia to the viscidium, a sticky pad which sticks the pollinia to the body of pollinators.

At the upper edge of the stigma of single-anthered orchids, in front of the anther cap, there is the rostellum, a slender extension involved in the complex pollination mechanism.

As aforementioned, the ovary is always inferior (located behind the flower). It is three-carpelate and one or, more rarely, three-partitioned, with parietal placentation (axile in the Apostasioideae)

THE MEANING & SYMBOLISM OF ORCHID

The most highly coveted of ornamental plants, the delicate, exotic and graceful orchid represents love, luxury, beauty and strength. In ancient Greece, orchids were associated with virility. In fact, Greek women believed that if the father of their unborn child ate large, new orchid tubers, the baby would be a boy. If the mother ate small orchid tubers, she would give birth to a girl.

During the Victorian era, orchid symbolism shifted to luxury, and today this sense of magnificence and artful splendor continues, with orchids representing rare and delicate beauty. The 14th wedding anniversary flower, pink orchids convey pure affection, and the popular cattelya orchid represents mature charm.

THE BOTANY OF ORCHID

All varieties of orchids make up the Orchidaceae family. They have been discovered growing on every continent except Antarctica. Orchids thrive in elevations from sea level to 15,000 feet. The greatest number of orchid species is found in tropical regions. The majority of orchids are epiphytes – meaning they grow on top of or attached to another living plant – not parasites as once thought. They obtain their nutrients through the spongy epidermis of their roots.

Many orchids produce a sweet fragrance, which attracts a wide range of pollinators such as birds, bees, flies and even ants.

Since orchids are grown in many different locations around the world, most varieties do not have a limited season of availability. There are nearly 30,000 varieties, but the most common are Dendrobiums, Cymbidium, Cattleya, Phalaenopsis and Vanda. Because of their more limited commercial production, orchids are generally used in event work, such as weddings, parties and upscale occasions. Each type of orchid has its own personality. Dendrobiums are often used as cut flowers in tropical arrangements, while Cymbidium orchids were once thought of as the Mother’s Day corsage orchid, making it a commonly recognized variety. Cattleya orchids were the popular choice of brides during the 40s and 50s, but Phalaenopsis (or Butterfly) orchids are the choice for modern arrangements because of their simplicity and elegance. Some orchids are edible and are used as garnish in culinary presentations.

Vanilla is one of the rare examples of orchids being used for food. Both the seeds and surrounding pulp within the seed pod of the Vanilla orchid are used to make the extremely popular flavoring vanilla extract.

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