Читать книгу Orchids For Dummies - The Editors of the National Gardening Association, Steven A. Frowine - Страница 12

You can easily tell when a rose is rose, but orchids are quite a bit more complex and varied when it comes to their flower shapes and the construction of their leaves, stems, and roots. In Part 3, I give you lots of information on flower, leaf, and stem construction of specific orchids. In this chapter, I talk generalities.

Certainly, the flamboyant colors of modern orchid hybrids are a standout and are the primary reason these plants are so treasured. But there are so many distinct types of orchid flowers, so the question is, “Which one is typical?” There is no correct answer to this question. Many people think of the cattleya-type orchids (see Chapter 11), whereas others may picture moth orchids (see Chapter 10).

To get a better idea how orchid flowers are constructed, look at a typical cattleya flower and compare it to a more ordinary flower, a tulip (see Figure 1-1). Table 1-1 shows some of the major differences between these two flowers.

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FIGURE 1-1: Comparing a cattleya flower with a tulip flower.

So, what makes an orchid an orchid? The column. This fused sexual structure located in the middle of the flower is what separates the orchid from all other plants.

TABLE 1-1 Differences between Tulip and Orchid Flowers

Flower Part	Tulip	Orchid
Petals	The most obvious part of the flower and what makes a tulip look like a tulip.	A very prominent part of the flower but comprises only half of the show.
Sepals	Hardly noticeable in the tulip flower, especially after they open.	Very striking in many orchid flowers. Can be as brightly colored as the petals.
Lip or labellum	Not found in the tulip.	Usually a very showy part of the orchid flower. Actually, a modified petal.
Anther and stigma	The two sexual parts of the tulip. The anthers are male reproductive organs, and the stigma is the female part.	These separate organs are not found in the orchid; instead, orchids have a column in which the male and female parts are fused.
Column	Not found in tulip.	Only found in orchids.