Summary of Main Characteristics of Orchid Plants

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Blooming, Care and Culture, Classification

The family Orchidaceae can be divided horticulturally into two groups; the terrestrial and the epiphytal.

There are undoubtedly many horticultural divisions between the two groups, but instead of delving into them I thought it would be simpler to create a list for the benefit of the non-botanist that summarizes the main characteristics.

Summary of Main Characteristics

1. All orchids have three sepals, three petals, and a column.
2. The column contains the reproductive organs.
3. The anthers in the column are suppressed to two in the Cypripedioideae and one in all others.
4. The pollen in the anthers is coherent, granular or waxy.
5. The third petal is modified sometimes into eccentric forms.
6. The ovary is inferior (i.e. below the rest of the flower).