Orchids, A Perennial Herb

Orchids

Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the Orchid family.The family also includes Vanilla (the genus of the vanilla plant), Orchis (type genus) and many commonly cultivated plants such as Phalaenopsis and Cattleya.



The name comes from the Greek "órkhis", literally meaning "testicle", because its root has a similar shape.Orchidaceae are cosmopolitan, occurring in almost every habitat apart from deserts and glaciers. The great majority are to be found in the tropics, mostly Asia, South America and Central America.

The main component for the sowing of orchids in artificial conditions is the agar agar. The substance is put together with some type of carbohydrate (actually, some kind of glucose) which provides qualitative organic feed. Such substance may be banana, pineapple, peach or even tomato puree or coconut milk. 


After the cooking of the agar agar (it has to be cooked in sterile conditions) the mix is poured into test tubes or jars where the substance begins to jelly. The seeds have to be put in the dish above boiling water, in the steam because that secures sterile conditions. The test tubes are put diagonally after that.

One orchid genus, Vanilla, is commercially important, used as a flavouring.The underground tubers of terrestrial orchids (mainly Orchis mascula (Early Purple Orchid)) are ground to a powder and used for cooking, such as in the hot beverage salep or in the Turkish ice-cream (Dondurma - salepli dondurma).


It has been claimed that the name salep comes from the Arabic expression ḥasyu al-tha`lab, "fox testicles", however, it appears more likely that the Turkish name salep comes directly from the Arabic name saḥlab‎. 


The similarity in appearance to testes naturally accounts for salep being considered an aphrodisiac.Orchids, like tulips, have become a major market throughout the world. Buyers now bid hundreds of dollars on new hybrids or improved ones. Because of their apparent ease in hybridization, they are now becoming one of the most popular cut-flowers on the market.

Vanilla comes from the green seed pod of a celadon-colored orchid.