1. ORCHIDACEAE

2. GROUP MEMBERS:
MICHELLE
BAILEY
MARK BASTIAN
REHANA FAREED
SHEBIKI JEFFREY
THESIA KING
BHAVINA POORAN
KIMBERLY SANGSTER

3. ORCHID FAMILY (ORCHIDACEAE)
Largest
family of flowering plants
Terrestrial, epiphytic, or
saprophytic herbs
Orchid flowers come in different
colours except black
Example of an orchid is Vanilla
planifolia, native to Mexico and
Central America

4. Habitat & Distribution
 Second
most widely distributed plants in the
world after grasses
 Mainly found in warm, moist places
 Also found in dry or seasonally cold
environments such as savannahs and semideserts
 Found in rainforests, swamps
 Worldwide (except Antarctica): mostly
tropics in countries such as Guyana,
Venezuela and Brazil; even the Arctic Circle
and Africa

5. Parts of an Orchid Flower

6. General Characteristics of Orchids:
Pedicel
Calyx
Petals

7. Characteristics of Orchids:
Distinguishing characteristics of the orchid are
found in the flower.
•
The petal aka lip or labellum is opposite the
fertile stamen.
•
The fertile stamen or stamens are on one
side of the flower opposite the lip, making
the flower bilaterally symmetrical.
•
The pistil is in the middle of the flower.
•
Single anther is retained at the top of the
column to form a cap-like structure (in most
orchids).

9. Characteristics of Orchids (con’t):
 Reduced
filaments, anthers, style and stigma; fused
into one structure called the column

10. Characteristics of Orchids (con’t):
Stigma is in the form of a shallow
depression on the inner sides of
the column.
In the bud, the lip is oriented
upward but as the flower matures,
it usually ends up downward;
process called resupination.
Outer whorl: 3 sepals
Inner whorl: 3 petals

12. Characteristics of Orchids (con’t):
 Rostellum
(flap of tissue covered with sticky
stigmatic liquid) separates the stigma and
anther.
 Primitive orchids – pollinia (contains many
pollen) stick to stigmatic fluid on the insects’
backs because the orchids contain no
rostellum.
 Advanced orchids – pollinia caudicles are
already attached to the rostellum; a portion
comes off as a sticky pad known as the
viscidium

14. Characteristics of Orchids (con’t):
 Fruits
are dry capsules; small, numerous, dust-like
seeds that lack an endosperm (wind dispersal)
 The seeds depend on fungus since the fungus
penetrates the seed and provides it with nutrients
to germinate and grow.
 Orchids contain several types of nectaries,
including the extrafloral types. Floral fragrances are
diverse, from quite sweet to the smell of rotting liver.
 Some nectaries are located on the side lobes of
the lip and secretion along the groove of the lip
occurs.

15. Economic Importance of
Orchids
 They
are used mainly as ornamentals (to
beautify the environment).
 Their sweet extracts can be used in
perfume production.
 Orchids are used as food in Indonesia.
 Orchids have medicinal value in China
and Japan.
 Several species of orchids are used as a
glue substitute (derived from the
pseudobulbs).

18. References:
 Raskoti,
B. B.; 2013; Orchid Distribution;
http://www.ionopsis.com/distribution.htm;
22/09/2013
 Welch-Keesey, M.; 2013; Just the Facts about
Orchids;
http://www.indyzoo.com/SiteAssets/pdfs/Handou
tA-OrchidFacts.pdf; 22/09/2013