What's an orchid?

Orchids or Orchidaceae are family of monocot flowering plants in the super order Liliiflorae. The are distinct from other flowering plants because they have:

their stamens and pistils (male and female parts) fused together in one structure known as a column
three petals and three petal-like sepals
seeds that are tiny a numerous
usually has one different petal that forms a lip or labellum making the flower laterally symetrical
the pollen is usually bound together in a few large masses known as pollinia
their flower stem twists around during development Orchids grow from the Arctic to the Equator and south in all the continents except Antarctica. The orchids that orchid growers are mostly interested in are the tropical epiphytes.
The family of Orchids contains more species than any other family of plants. Botanists believe the family to contain some 20,000 to 25,000 species. But with the destruction of the rainforests we are loosing undiscovered species and may never know the exact number.

Monocots

Monocots the Monoctyledonae include palms, duckweed, bamboo, grass, onions, bananas and the members of Liliiflorae. They have one embryonic seed leaf whereas other flowering plants, the Dicots have two. Some other their characteristics are:

the leaves are mostly parallel-veined.
usual lacks cambium in the stem
vascular bundles are usual scattered in the stem - no rings as in a tree

Liliiflorae

Liliiflorae contains not only orchids but lilies, amaryllises and irises. All these plants develop their seeds in ovaries below the flower.

Epiphytes

Epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants, usually in forests. By doing this they gain a better position to obtain more light. Their roots cling to branches of trees and obtain water only in rain or fog. Many orchids, bromeliads, ferns, mosses and lichens are epiphytes.

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