Orchids are noted for their bewitchingly beautiful, long lasting flowers, widely differing in shape, size and colour.
They belong to the family Orchidaceae, reported to comprise over 600 genera, 30000 species and about 1.5 lakhs man made hybrids.
They have varying habitats but epiphytic orchids dominate the trade.
Orchids can be found anywhere from the low-lying coastal regions of the tropics to the Himalayas and from the equator to the Arctic Pole.
Orchids can be mainly divided into two categories.
The first category includes terrestrial and epiphytic orchids, such as Paphiopedilum and Jewel Orchid, while the second category includes Valsa and Dendrobium.
They are also classed as
1. Monopodials - stems having a vertical growth, non-branching, with aerial roots
2. Sympodials - stems having a horizontal growth, producing pseudobulbs in clusters, no aerial roots
