You know how long humans have loved Orchids?…
Orchids
Orchids are undoubtedly one of nature's most beautiful flowers. Their colours and the delicacy of their petals make them fall in love and attract us. We invite you to read a little more about this beautiful plant.
The name of the orchids comes from the Greek "orjis" which means testicle. This referred to the tubers that some species of terrestrial orchids possess. Whose bumps look like testicles.
Orchidaceous orchids are one of the most numerous botanical species that exist in the world, they can be found everywhere with the exception of the poles and the desert. This is a very long-lived plant that has been closely linked to mankind for a long time and has been present in really ancient civilizations such as the Aztecs or Greeks.
We are not wrong at all when we say that this plant is special and no wonder we are talking about the largest family of plants in the world whose species can vary between species of a few millimeters to giant species.
What do orchid flowers look like?
Generally speaking, orchid flowers have the following structure. They are made up of sepals, one dorsal and two lateral, which are the external parts, and three internal parts known as petals, one of which is in the form of a lip, the colour of which is greater than the others. This structure fulfills the function of attracting some animal that plays the role of pollinator. It is also worth mentioning that this structure can vary to attract a certain type of animal, such as insects or birds.
Orchids have accompanied human beings since ancient times, as indicated by regencies in Chinese writings. In addition, some ancient cultures such as the Greeks attributed healing or aphrodisiac properties to them.
In the 17th century, orchids became a status element for the richer classes. So in many upper class families began to build orchids or green houses, which were a sign of their status. A curious fact that accompanies these orchidariums is that when an orchid was in bloom it was the occasion for large celebrations and parties. This popularity endangered many species that lived in nature.
In another post we will write about their cultivation and care .
Some hanging orchids!
The orchid family includes nearly 900 genera, somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 species and over 70,000 hybrids or cultivars.
The Orchid Family or orchidaceae are the largest family of angiosperms, or flowering plants in the world.
