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ORCHIDACEAE - ORCHID FAMILY

By Toni Corelli

This is the third of a series of articles about flowering plant families. —ed.
  • Herbaceous perennials, from underground rhizomes or corms
  • Leaves usually alternate, sheathing at the base
  • Inflorescence solitary or in a raceme, spike, or panicle
  • Flowers bisexual, irregular (bilateral); sepals 3, usually similar in shape and color; petals 3, lower petal different from the other 2 in size and shape and called the lip, this petal often has a spur which contains nectar; the stamens (generally 1) and stigma and style are fused into a complex structure called the column, this is usually opposite the lip
  • Fruit a capsule; seeds many, minute
  • Many cultivated as ornamentals, some used as food flavoring, e.g., vanilla
  • Largest family worldwide
  • Some are parasitic and have no green parts

Most of the orchids in our area flower in late spring to early summer. This year was an especially good year for the orchids in our area and large populations were observed.

The pollination mechanism is complex and involves the release of pollen lumps called pollinia, which are composed of many pollen grains. The pollinia stick to the visiting insect, usually bees or flies. The stigma has a sticky substance that receives the pollinia that is deposited by the next insect visitor.

The vanilla that is used for flavorings comes mostly from Vanilla planifolia (vanilla orchid). The fruit will not develop unless it is pollinated; if it is not pollinated the flower lasts only one day. When referring to the vanilla bean people are actually talking about the fruit.

Since the Flora was published, 2 new orchid species have been found at Edgewood. This is the new key to Orchidaceae Family since the first edition.

1 Plant non-green; leaves scale-or bract-like

2 Perianth with reddish to purplish stripes

Corallorhiza striata (striped coralroot)

2’ Perianth with reddish to purplish spots

Corallorhiza maculata (striped coralroot)

1’ Plant green

3 Leaves mostly basal

4 Sepals white with green midvein, petals white to pale green

5 Spur oriented horizontally along the stem

Piperia transversa (transverse-spurred piperia)

5’ Spur curved along stem but not horizontal

Piperia elegans (elegant piperia / elegant rein orchid)

4’ Sepals and petals unmarked, green or yellow-green

Piperia elongata (long-spurred)

3’ Leaves along stem, alternate; perianth purple-tinged to pink

Epipactis helleborine (helleborine)

References

Coleman, Ronald A. 1995. The Wild Orchids of California. Cornell University

Web pages:

    http://florawww.eeb.uconn.edu/acc_num/198500001.html

    http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta.

Artwork by Linda Bea Miller


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