Orchidaceae is the largest family of the flowering plants (Angiospermae).Its name is derived from the genus Orchis.
The Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew list 880 genera and nearly 22,000 accepted species, but the exact number is unknown (perhaps as many as 25,000) because of taxonomic disputes. The number of orchid species equals about four times the number of mammal species, or more than twice the number of bird species. It also encompasses about 611% of all seed plants. About 800 new orchid species are added each year. The largest genera are Bulbophyllum (2,000 species), Epidendrum (1,500 species), Dendrobium (1,400 species) and Pleurothallis (1,000 species). The family also includes the Vanilla (the genus of the vanilla plant), Orchis (type genus) and many commonly cultivated plants like some Phalaenopsis or Cattleya.
Moreover, since the introduction of tropical species in the 19th century, horticulturists have more than 100,000 hybrids and cultivars.
Orchidaceae are cosmopolitan, occurring in almost every habitat apart from deserts and glaciers. The great majority are to be found in the tropics, mostly Asia, South America and Central America. They are found above the Arctic Circle, in southern Patagonia and even on Macquarie Island, close to Antarctica.
The following list gives a rough overview of their distribution:
tropical America: 250 to 270 genera
tropical Asia: 260 to 300 genera
tropical Africa: 230 to 270 genera
Oceania: 50 to 70 genera
Europe and temperate Asia: 40 to 60 genera
North America: 20 to 25 genera
Vengono comunemente chiamate Orchidee alcune piante appartenenti alla famiglia delle Orchidacee, ed in particolare i loro fiori.
Parti del fiore di una Ophrys sp.Gli eleganti, delicati e variopinti fiori di orchidea possono assumere, in virtù del loro polimorfismo, innumerevoli forme: hanno una tipica struttura alata, con un perigonio di tre sepali superiori e tre petali inferiori; uno di questi, detto labello, si differenzia per formato dagli altri in modo da attirare gli insetti impollinatori. Le dimensioni e il colore del labello, unitamente alla forma dello sperone cavo in cui si prolunga la sua base, mutano a seconda delle diverse specie.
Ogni fiore possiede organi maschili (androceo) e femminili (gineceo), riuniti in un solo corpo colonnare detto ginostemio, talvolta prolungato in un rostello carnoso. Il polline è agglutinato in masse (pollinodi) a clava, che si attaccano mediante la base gelatinosa (retinacolo) alla testa degli insetti pronubi, permettendo così l'impollinazione dei fiori successivamente visitati.
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The information you provide is quiet helpful, why I was not able to find it earlier.
aileenmistretta 3 months ago
Marvelous orchids! Very Beautiful photos and video!
ecosounds 2 years ago
Complimenti Luigi48, è meraviglioso!!!
pradayt 2 years ago
Lovely video, it´s a balm for the mind, my compliments.
Bel video, é un balsamo per la mente, complimenti.
ma7174 2 years ago