Orchids

Orchids are members of the Orchidaceae, the largest family of flowering plants. There are 880 genera and 22,000 species of orchids that have been discovered, with many more unknown species. Orchids alone emcompass between 6% to 11% of all seed plants. Every year 800 new species of orchids are discovered and named.

The largest Orchid genera are Bulbophyllum (2,000 species), Epidendrum (1,500 species), Dendrobium (1,400 species) and Pleurothallis (1,000 species). Within the Orchid family includes the Vanilla (the genus of the vanilla plant), Orchis (type genus) and many commonly cultivated plants such as the Phalaenopsis and the Cattleya.