### plant | tracheophyte | spermatophyte | angiosperm:

Orchid
* All orchids are perennial herbs and lack any permanent woody structure
  - sensitive to reduced humidity caused by artificial heat
  - conform to either a sympodial or monopodial growth habit
* All orchids have a column rather than separate stamens and pistils
  - two names
* Many orchids are endangered, mostly due to habitat destruction and over-collection
  - in bloom towards the end of the month
  - rewarding indoor plants
  - grow up quickly in the cool, cloudy rainforest of the Big Island
  - have a unique way of reproducing
  - respond to fire by flowering
  - take five to seven years to mature to flowering
* Most Orchids receive their nourishment through the air, moisture in the soil or rain
  - orchids also grow in shady conditions as epiphytes in the understorey
* Most orchids are epiphytic
  - perennial herbs, arising annually from rhizomes, tubers or thickened rootstocks
  - pollinated by insects, just like other flowers and trees
* Most orchids are very long-lived plants with extremely poor germination and juvenile survival
* Most orchids attract ants
  - male wasps
* Most orchids get nutrients
  - sunlight
* Most orchids go through asexual reproduction
* Most orchids grow best in a humid environment with good aeration
  - during summer
* Most orchids grow in a combination of tree bark, charcoal, or pebbles
  - regions
  - shades
* Most orchids have aerial roots
  - bases
  - hairy roots
  - inferior ovaries
  - specific soil requirements
  - succulent leaves
  - lose leaves
  - obtain water
  - occur in regions
* Most orchids produce aerial roots
  - pollen
* Most orchids require bright light
  - partial shade for best flowering and growth
  - plenty of light, preferably at least six hours a day
* Most orchids show growth
  - real growth
* Most orchids thrive in a warm environment
  - climates
  - environments
  - mediterranean climates
  - try to prevent cross-pollination between different species to keep their own identity
* Some Orchids are epiphytes and some are terrestrial.
* Some orchids also benefit from being misted
  - have the capacity for self-pollination
* Some orchids are already extinct in the wild
  - easier to grow than others
  - epiphytes and others grow in the soil
  - lithophytes which means that they grow on rocks
  - attract pollinating insects by scents that are sexual attractants
  - benefit from being placed outdoors for the summer
  - bloom once a year while others bloom several times a year, and some bloom continuously
* Some orchids can be heavy feeders
  - massive when fully grown and are best placed in a greenhouse
  - tolerate more abuse than common houseplants and still bloom
* Some orchids come from families
  - the deep jungles
  - develop patterns
  - die after flowers
  - emit a sweet, pleasing fragrance at certain times of the day
* Some orchids find in rainforests
  - tropical rainforests
  - grow as epiphytes
* Some orchids grow in environments
  - homes
  - mixture
  - the ground and are known as terrestrial
  - on trees
* Some orchids have ability
  - differences
  - layers
  - lobes
  - natural stimuli
  - no smell, while others have spicy or offensive scents
  - pleasant fragrances
  - sepals
  - underground tubers , which are swollen roots used by plants for storing food
  - very special ways of pollination
  - look like female insects
* Some orchids offer considerable diversity
  - parasitize first fungus, and have to establish new association to live longer
* Some orchids rely on certain insects
* Some orchids require moderate shade and others thrive in full sunlight
  - pots
  - thrive at cooler temperatures
* Some orchids use for industrial purposes
  * Some orchids have very special ways of pollination. For example, the Lady's Slipper can trap insects and make them pollinate the flower. Another instance is the Austrian orchid, which grows underground and is pollinated by ants
* abound in the Everglades' hardwood hammocks, moist marshes, prairies and pinelands.
* also utilize insects to spread their pollen.
* are a Chinese symbol for many children
  - very large and diverse family
  - accordingly parasites if only in the first phase of their life
  - addictive
  - also one of the most adaptable plant groups on earth
* are an epiphyte
  - extremely popular flower
  - another variety of epiphyte commonly adapted to home growth
  - as easy to grow houseplants
  - at peak bloom during the winter months
* are colorful flowers that live in warm areas
  - definately the death flower
  - different from other houseplants
  - edibles
  - epiphytes that form small seeds without much storage to sustain germination and growth
  - evolutionary pinnacles
  - flowers with unusual shapes, beautiful colors and a very delicate fragrance
* are found practically over the world
  - throughout the country, from coastal shores to alpine herb fields
  - hardy plants that thrive in a variety of conditions
  - incredibly diverse
  - insect-pollinated and each flower is designed to attract a particular insect
  - just very slow-moving animals
  - known for their beauty and strong fragrance
  - located in homes
  - monocotyledonous plants and have two different types of growth structures
* are native to every continent, though most occur in the tropics
  - most regions of the world
  - nature's meta-flowers, improvising on what has come before
  - no more difficult to grow than many popular flowering plants
  - of much less consequence on the ranges of North America
* are one of the largest and most diverse groups of plants
  - oldest families of plants in the world
  - plant families - numbering in the tens of thousands
  - many prized flowers of the rain forest
  - most developed of all monocotyledons
  - oldest types of flowering plants on earth
  - parasites in nature as they grow on wild trees and dead trees
  - plants that people can have in their homes, year round, regardless of climate
  - portable because they grow in pots or baskets
  - quite frequent in the bogs of the north woods of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota
  - rare, yet everywhere
  - sensitive to light
  - some of the most beautiful plants in the world
  - susceptible to a number of insect and disease problems
* are the largest flowering plant family in the world
  - group of plants in the world containing many species
* are the most fascinating plants in the world
  - successful epiphytes of the tropical rainforest
  - unique because they are considered more of a specialty type of flower
* are very good at being orchids
  - old plants
  - well-adapted to life in the canopy
  - white
  - yellow
* are, however, often epiphytic with conspicuous adventitious roots.
* belong to the class of monocotyledons, which includes lilies, palms, grasses, and amaryllis.
* bloom seasonally, usually once a year.
* can also be amazing mimics
  - interchange their habitat depending on the circumstances it finds itself in
* can be a hobby or a passion
  - very small and very big
  - enthrall
  - have single flower or racemose inflorescence
  - provide a fresh look to any environment
* clothe the stems of trees and gigantic climbers smother their heads.
* come in all colors but black.
* compose the largest family of flowering plants in the world.
* comprise one of the most abundant and varied of flowering plant families.
* discussion that uses an interactive web page to communicate.
* do come in blue flower now.
* excel at spinning off new species.
* fall into two categories, species and hybrids.
* flourish in most climates with help from bees, hummingbirds, moths and humans.
* gain access by growing on branches or trunks of tall trees.
* generally are light feeders but like to be fed consistantly
  - come from environments where dappled light is the norm
  - prefer to dry out well between waterings
* go native.
* grow during summer.
* grow in regions
  - several different ways
* grow in the trees
  - tropic and sub-tropic climate zones
* grow on all of the islands and there are many varieties
  - every continent except Antarctica
  - other plants in humid climates
  - tree branches, trunks or rocks
  - trees, in the ground or in the home
  - slowly compared to houseplants
  - wild in the woods
* growers all over the world create new shapes, colours and patterns every year.
* hang from lush tree branches, while cobras hide in the underbrush.
* have a magical beauty and allure, with incredible colors, shapes, and scents
  - reputation for being fussy plants
  - symbiotic relationship with fungi that live in their roots, called mycorrhiza
  - symmetry similar to human faces
  - amazing ability of hybridization
  - bloomeds
  - fascinating foliage during winter months
  - some of the most immodest and outrageous flowers in the plant kingdom
* have specific requirements
  - two main ways of growing
  - very varied blooming habits
  - cells
  - cytoplasm
  - perianths
  - sections
* know how to pray.
* leaves normally are a lighter green.
* live in almost every corner of Ecuador
  - the canopy, rather than on the ground
  - very wet climates where there lot of rainfall
* love being behind curtains or window blinds
  - to send roots out looking for things to attach to
* occur, however, in habitats as varied as one can imagine, many wintering under ice and snow.
* often have fleshy pods and waxy leaves which can store water.
* originate in diverse habitats, from tree tops in full sun to shaded swamps.
* prefer fairly high humidity, but they are paradoxically averse to excess water.
* present features
  - unique features
  - hundreds of thousands of seeds
  - millions of dust-like seeds that can be blown long distances
  - several millions of miniature seeds
* reach a most bewildering diversity in the tropics and subtropics.
  - moving air
* respond to frequent feeding during the growing season.
* shed leaves.
* show amazing diversity in both colour and shape
  - great structural variety, especially in their modified petals or lips
  - interesting adaptations to their habitats and pollinators
* suffer in hot dry heat.
* take an extremely long time to develop.
* tend to be warm climate plants needing warmth and plenty of humidity
  - obtain their nourishment from the air, rain or moisture in the soil
  - prefer smaller pots
* thrive in a humid atmosphere
* thrive, over thirty wild species in all.
* use the most fascinating strategies to promote pollination.
* usually have little or no endosperm in their seeds
  - require fairly high humidity levels
* vary in their water requirements.
+ Semen, Culture: Male reproductive system
  * The orchid is a type of plant with flowers. Some orchids have underground tubers, which are swollen roots used by plants for storing food. Ancient Romans thought that the tubers of the orchid looked like testicles, and believed the plant grew from the semen of satyrs that had fallen on the ground. A satyr was thought to be a creature with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a goat, and goat's horns on its head. Satyrs were said to love drinking wine and having sex.