Oncidium Orchid A Special Orchid Flower
The name oncidium comes from the Greek onkos which means swelling. The Oncidium orchid has a big swelling at the lower lip, from which it derives its name. The flowers of this family of orchids come in red, pink, yellow and white and their petals are almost always found to be ruffled at the edges, as well as the lip.
Other Characteristics that Classify the Oncidium Orchid:
* It has column wings
* It has a distinct and separate callus on its lip
* It has pseudobulbs which have 1-3 leaves present
* It branches out in bracts right at the pseudobulbs base
These plants, besides being exquisitely beautiful as all orchids are, are divided into three types according to their shapes:
One type has green pseudobulbs, small flowers and a very prominent lip
Another type has tiny pseudobulbs with cylindrical shaped leaves which help the plant collect and store water. These plants flowers are bunched at the top; the sizes of the plant vary from miniatures of a few centimeters to giants of more than one meter high.
The third type, which is not very common now, is one which has no pseudobulbs. These plants have triangular leaves and very beautifully colored flowers.
Because of their capacity to store water, florists named the Oncidium orchid as the spray orchid. The plants are a bit unusual when compared to the normal style of the orchids, but this is exactly why many prefer the Oncidium orchid to others. It is easy to grow in pots and it is very resistant to change of conditions; people prefer it for home/ greenhouse growing.
The flowers of this family can vary so wildly that when put together, the beginner would not be able to say they belong to the Oncidium orchid family. While some orchids have winding bunches of flowers (sometimes as many as 20 in a bunch), others are small and singular.
The leaves of the Oncidium orchid are usually fleshy and water storing, resembling a sponge. Their height can be from a tiny miniature of 4-5 cms (which can be breathtaking with their beauty) to gigantic plants that reach heights of 5 m. One such Oncidium orchid is the Oncidium baueri which averages 5-6 m effortlessly.
While the wide variety of the Oncidium orchid makes it difficult to be recognized, it surely gives one a great deal of satisfaction knowing and growing them; here with only one family you can have the whole repertoire of plants from small to large in all colors possible. No wonder the Oncidium orchid is a hot favorite with all orchid lovers.
Cattleya orchid species are named for an English orchid fancier of the 19th century who grew the first of this genre known to Europe when he unexpectedly received them in a shipment of other plants.
Venamy Orchids
It consists of more than one thousand naturally occurring species.
When it was suggested that the beautiful orchid flowers so coddled in an orchid garden are genetically related to inhabitants of wild like the asparagus, the relation sounded weird. Most familiar varieties of orchids come from the tropics with large and beautiful flowers that suit the decorative taste of admirers and also of florists who use them in bouquets and corsages. Then each petal was shaped with a warm soldiering iron and molds that fit the curvature of various flowers.
|