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Orchids are one of the largest family of flowers worldwide,
occurring
on all continents except Antarctica and are most plentiful in the
tropical regions of the world. They make up the family Orchidaceae in the order of
Liliiflorae
and are monocots and considered by many the most advanced flowers.
Estimated species
worldwide go up to around 25 000
and in Ecuador some 4000 species are already classified.The size of the whole plant ranges from a few cm to 3 m in height
and that of the flower from a few mm to 15 cm on the other extreme. |
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Orchids are adored by flower lovers and many hybrids were created over
the years but there is only one orchid which is used commercially,
the
vanilla specie, originating from Mexico but which is now grown in
many other tropical countries for producing that nice vanilla
flavor.
Half of the orchids, especially the tropical ones, are epiphytes
or
air plants, growing on trees and the others are terrestrial, growing in the
soil. Some are even parasitic and a few saprophytic,
living on decaying matter.
In Ecuador 4000 species
are classified but the numbers
are probably much higher as many are not yet identified.
They grow in a wide range of ecosystems from the frigid paramos
of 4000m down to the lower hot and humid tropical forests and
are most plentiful in the subtropical cloud forests of the
country. Many of orchids not yet classified are those
in the crowns of the giant trees in the rainforests, sitting
there to take advantage of the light, they need for growing. Inside on the
bottom of primary rainforests, none can be admired as not enough light
reaches there.
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| Orchids are determined by their floral characteristics.
Flowers grow on a stalk called pedicel which rotates 180° during growth so the mature flower is
actually upside down. The flower possesses 3
sepals and 3 petals.
The 3 sepals are often
similar in color and shape. So are the
two lateral petals but the third
one however differs from the others and is lobed or cupped.
This part is called the lip or labellum and attracts
pollinators and serves as a landing platform
for insects. The sexual parts, pistils and stamens, are fused together
into a structure called a column which is set opposite the lip.
But not always are the various parts of the flower so easily observed.
Sepals are sometimes fused together and
the two petals
are very tiny and cannot be easily observed
and seem to be absent. |
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Many epiphytic orchids have so-called pseudo bulbs at the base of the leaves, where food and water is
stored for needy times.
Those structures gave the flower also its name, deriving
from the Greek word Orchis
(Dog's testicles). |
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Many other
orchids missing pseudo bulbs have
instead fleshy and succulent leaves,
used also for food and water storage.
In some species the flower
seems to grow out
from the top or
underneath the leaves. |
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Some
other characteristics of orchids to help you for identifying
tez. Those characteristics are not common to all orchids but it should
help you in spotting them in a natural environment.
The only positive identification is by its floral arrangement as
described above but the flowering period varies from specie to specie,
with some blooming
year round and others
only for a few days of each year. |
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| < Some orchids
develop air roots, from where a new pedicel
and plant starts to grow. Air moisture can be taken up
directly through the
roots and they do not need any contact
with soil. |
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A very distinct
characteristic are seed pods,
where Inside
innumerous tiny seeds wait for it to burst open and be
dispersed by wind. To start to grow seeds
need the help of a fungi. |
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On the average
February to
April, the rainy
season, are the best months in Ecuador to admire those beautiful
flowers. But many can be seen year-round and some
special ones only in certain other months. |
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The profound lip
or labellum
serves as a
landing spot for
insects, which are important pollinators. In this picture taken in the
geo-botanic reserve of Pululahua, a true orchid paradise, a tiny beetle
takes advantage of this structure. Different shapes and colors of the
labellum and the other petals and sepals, the smell given off by the
flower, leaf structures, etc.. attract different
pollinators. Many orchids adapted themselves to be pollinated only by
one particular species of insects. Birds and other agents also help in this process
of pollinizing those wonderful flowering plants.
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Orchids adapted themselves to many pollinators
especially smaller birds, bees and flies by their attractive colors and
the smell they give off. Nice smelling orchids attract for instance bees
whereas foul smelling ones do flies. Some
developed furthermore special features like closing themselves so
pollinators have to exit at the back and thus get in touch more
positively with the pollens. Other orchids adapted
themselves to only one kind of pollinators and depend on them for propagation.
The seeds are tiny and numerous, sometimes millions sit in one
seed capsule, and are dispersed easily by the wind.
As however they lack their own food storage tissue, they depend on
a fungi
for initiating the growth process and growing. Both fungi and plant live in a beneficial symbiotic union. |
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Here a saprophytic
orchid species from the Pululahua crater, is featured. It lacks chlorophyll and lives thus in a
symbiotic relationship with a fungi
and feeds on decaying organic matter. This orchid only blooms
in the month of June and otherwise is completely hidden
underground with no leaves or other plant parts showing in the
rest of the year. Some Australian species are known to complete their whole life cycle underground,
never coming above. In this orchid species
(to the right) can also
be appreciated how the sepals are fused together to
appear as one and not 3 indivdual ones. |
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@
all photos by the author
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To enjoy hundreds
of pictures of those wonderful flowering plants,
visit the orchid
photo gallery of our Ecuador-Images.net website. |
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