Orchids [antikvár]

INTRODUCTION Introduction Orchidaceae is the largest family in the plant kingdom, and its members are among the world's most specialized plants. There are more than 30,000 known species, and more are being discovered and documented every year. Though the majority are concentrated in tropical rainforests and cloud forests between 3,000 and 9,000 feet (914 and 2740 metres) in elevation, orchids range from the southern extremities of South America, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand north towards the Arctic Circle, and from lowland plains to alpine treelines. Most are terrestrial (rooted in the ground), epiphytic (growing nonparasitically above the ground on another plant), or litho-phytic (growing on the surface of a rock). ORCHIDS IN CULTIVATION Orchids are grown essentially for their beautiful and intriguing eye-catching flowers. However, one, the Vanilla orchid (Vanilla planifolia), has economic value as the source of the familiar flavour used in ice-cream and cake recipes around the world. There are also orchids which have long been used by primitive peoples for medicinal purposes. The bulb of an African Ansellia species, for example, is chewed and sucked as a remedy for various ailments.