Orchids A unique, global plant

Orchids are one of the largest genera of flowering plants, with about 30,000 species worldwide. Orchids vary widely in their appearance. In the orchid the ovary is composed of three carpels fused so that the only outward evidence of their existence is the three ridges on the outside of the seed pods. Orchid seeds are extremely small and contain an undifferentiated embryo that lacks endosperm. The majority of the tropical orchid species are epiphytes; nearly all the orchids in the temperate zones, however, are terrestrial.

Monkey Face Orchid

Fly Orchid