Popular around the globe for their beauty and variety, orchids
are the largest family of plants in the entire world. There are
25,000 - 30,000 different species of orchid, at least 10,000 of
which can be found in the tropics. Orchid species can differ
greatly from one another, with extreme variations in size,
weight and color. While some orchids may only be the size of a
nickel when in bloom, others may weigh up to one ton with petals
as long as 30 inches, and sprays of small flowers 12 - 14 feet
long. Orchid blossoms appear in almost every imaginable color
except for true black. In general, the floral arrangement of all
orchid species is the same, with each orchid flower having six
parts. The outer three flower parts are green "sepals," and the
inner three flower parts are beautifully colored "petals." Some
orchids live underground (subterranean), some grow on rocks
(lithophytes), and some grow in the soil, but most are
epiphytes, which means they grow on other plants and trees.
Orchids tend to obtain their