Orchids

By, Emily Wentzel
Plant Science 211, NDSU, Fall 2011

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Orchidaceae- usually referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales.

 

Orchids are one of the most loved flowers in the world.  They are known for their beauty, delicacy, and elegance.  They have a wonderful flower colors, shapes, and scents. There’s wide variety of orchids, actually there are over 30,000 species of orchids! Orchids inhabit every corner of the planet except for the driest deserts and Antarctica. Humans have crossbred these species to create over 140,000 hybrids, and new one’s being created all the time.  The number of orchid species equals more than twice the number of bird species, and about four times the number of mammal species.

 

The history of orchid’s existence goes back to the age of the dinosaurs, 120 million years ago, making them some of the first flowering plants. Orchids are one of the largest and oldest families of plants in the world.  Because so many species of orchids exist many of them are exposed to pollution and distinction.