Orchid Fact Box
The family Orchidaceae, thought to have originated from the Liliaceae family, is one of the largest and most evolved plant families in the entire plant kingdom. Orchids (Orchidaceae) comprise the most diverse family of plants, with over 25,000 described species in 400 to 800 genera worldwide. The Amazon is among the world's richest sources of native orchids, from where thousands of species are described and many more undoubtedly remain to be discovered. Orchids are differ from other flowering plants because they have: their stamens and pistils (male and female parts) fused together in one structure known as a column three petals and three petal-like sepals usually has one different petal that forms a lip or labellum making the flower laterally symetrical the pollen is usually bound together in a few large masses known as pollinia their flowers twists around during development known as resupination.
Ecology of Orchids
The ecology of orchids is a complex topic as the flowers themselves. Orchids have a large habitat diversity and can be found almost anywhere in the world, especially in tropical and warm temperate regions. Many orchids live on other plants (epiphytic), on decayed material (saphrophytic) or independent as usual plants (auto trophic). Nearly all orchids are pollinated by insects notably bees and wasps, but also butterflies, ants, flies and others. Moreover, almost every orchid species is pollinated by just one or two kinds of insects. Even though there are plentiful, many of them may go extinct if its pollinator insect dies out.
North Cyprus Orchids
Because of their rarity and beauty, orchids hold a special fascination for all naturalists. At North Cyprus, the orchid flora consists of 32 confirmed species, subspecies and varieties and a further three or five which presence needs verifying. Some species will be familiar to botanists from north-western Europe, such as pyramidal orchid and autumn lady's tresses, but there are also more exotic species including violet limodore, tongue-flowered serapias, naked man orchid and more. No doubt more observant botanists will find these and other orchid species more frequently but we think it s true to say that they are localised and hence always a delight when stumbled upon.
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| NORTH CYPRUS ORCHIDS | ||||||
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| Spiranthes spiralis (L.) Chevall. | Orchis simia | Ophrys bornmuelleri ssp. Bornmuelleri | Orchis collina | |||
| Perennial herbs, roots tuberous and fleshy, stem up to 35 cm. Leaves unspotted, fleshy, basal and cauline. | Perennial herbs with two ovoid or ellipsoid tubers. Stem erect up to 45cm. Leaves 3-6, bright green, unspotted, rosulate and sometimes with stem leaves. Insloresence dense and many flowered. Flowers white with dark pink tips.Species grows in garigue, and grassy places, on stony slopes, in Pine forsest, on calcerous soils from 500 to 1000m. Flowersing period April – May. | Distinguished from O. bornmuelleri ssp. bornmuelleri by its with more compact and less elongated infloresence, up to 7 flowered. Labellum brownish, hairy, with creamy yellow shoulders and h-shape, below shoulders, without creamyyellow bordered. Species grows at damp grassy places, in garigue, under Pine or Cypress, on calcerous soils from 100 to 700 m. Flowering period March-April. | Tuberous perennial herbs. Stem up to 40 cm, rather fleshy often red or purplish. Leaves rosulate and cauline, dark green. Infloresence lax, up to 20 flowered. Flowers variable in colour ranging from violet to creamy white. Species grows in garigue or in sandy or stony places mostly on calcerous soils from sea-level to 400 m. Flowering period February-March. | |||
