Genus & Species

Orchidaceae (or Orchid family) is the largest family of the flowering plants.

The Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew list 880 genera and nearly 22,000 accepted species.

The largest genera are Bulbophyllum (2,000 species), Epidendrum (1,500 species), Dendrobium (1,400 species) and Pleurothallis (1,000 species). The family also includes the Vanilla.

The number of orchid species equals about four times the number of mammal species.

Since the introduction of tropical species in the 19th century, horticulturists have created more than 100,000 hybrids and cultivars. About 800 new orchid species are added each year.

The information provided on the following pages are an example of some of the more common orchid genera.

If you are interested in a genera or a particular species that I do not provide information for I suggest visiting the Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia. They have information on 10,825 species, in 767 genera, and are constantly revising their archive.

About

Welcome to Jardim Therapy my blog about orchids and Brazil. Here you will find a compilation of useful references, and some tip & tricks, along with my own personal experience. I must admit I am absolutely enamored with orchids, and I want to help all those I can who are interested in learning about these unique plants.

As guests of Jardim Therapy you are welcome to browse the home page, post comments, and access the archives. Enjoy!

Search