Orchids
There is a general misunderstanding about orchids that they grow with much difficulty. Some even hold that they bloom oÂnly in near greenhouse conditions. But this is not a fact as many types of orchids can flourish even in an ordinary environment, provided the essentials are religiously followed.
So it is not condition that is crucial but the extent of care that needs to be higher. With suitable standards of care orchids may grow as indoor window plants.
The Orchidaceae family is a large family that has nearly 750 genera, about 2000 species. More over there are some thousand species that are artificially made hybrids. These are divided in two types, terrestrial and epiphytic, the former grow oÂn the ground while the later cling to rocks, trees or shrubs. Most of them are terrestrial.
Like most terrestrial plants the terrestrial orchids also have thick and fleshy roots with fine fibrous roots connected to them. They provide nutrient food to the plant. As against this epiphytic orchids also have aerial roots along with the base root. These aerial roots help them climb and creep along a reasonably damp surface. These roots are cylindrical and thick.
Epiphytic plants grow in a typical style. Their leaves, stems and flowers grow in either of two ways. Those with single main stem rise from root-tuft at the ground. The stem is wrapped in leaves along its length and grows several feet high. Sometimes they develop smaller side-shoots. The stalks come out of leave axils near the top whereas aerial roots stick out from lower leave axils. It is not necessary that roots always cling to damp surface. These are called monopodial orchids. oÂn the other hand thesympodial orchids have a different style of growth. They have a number of stems that tend to grow from a horizontal rhizome. In wild surrounding they cling to the surface of the support but in home they sit oÂn pot surface and send feeling roots down under the mixture to suck food for them. Pseudobulbs are the thick stems that come out from the rhizome at regular interval. They vary in size from an inch to few feet high. Indoor orchids go the maximum height of eight inches. Every pseudobulb holds up to quite a few leaves at its tip and alongside the base. As a result a flower stem emerges from the top or base of the bulb in few years time. Each of such bulbs has a single bloom that fades gradually.
Every year at the end of a new short length of rhizome a new pseudobulb develops. Though the bulb oÂnce flowered tends to fade slowly but it does completely die as its leaves take a longer period of about five years to dry up and drop. But in some species all the leaves meet their complete end together at the lapse annual rest period.
So far as shape of orchids’ leave is concerned no exact definition could be given. They are found in numerous shapes, sizes and images. They could be very thick, very thin, a bit leathery or papery or fleshy. Though, some of them are available with spots and marble of different colours, a majority is found in whole green shade. Pattern-wise all orchids are similar with six petal-like segments organized in symmetry. These at times are invisible as they tend to intertwine with each other. Their sepals are normally identical in shape, colour and size. They consist of uppermost segments and the lower twin segments. There is oÂne more sepal at the bottom, known to be the lip with a different shape and colour. The reproductive part is born by a column which is an upright structure found in the center.
Orchids come in wide range and variety. Most of them are with fleshy and waxy texture. They keep blooming for a maximum span of twelve weeks. No sooner do they start fading than the flowers should be trimmed. Prompt trimming help to revive them and let them flower for a longer duration.
Tags: Flowers