Botanical Orchids
The Orchid family, Orchidaceae, is the largest family of the flowering plants. Its name is derived from the genus Orchis, and from the Greek word ὄρχις (orchis) what means testicle.
The Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew (England) list 880 genera and nearly 22,000 accepted species, but the exact number is unknown (perhaps as many as 25,000) because of taxonomic disputes. The number of orchid species equals about four times the number of mammal species, or more than twice the number of bird species. It also encompasses about 6–11% of all seed plants. About 800 new orchid species are added each year. The largest genera are Bulbophyllum (2,000 species), Epidendrum (1,500 species), Dendrobium (1,400 species) and Pleurothallis (1,000 species). The family also includes the Vanilla (the genus of the vanilla plant), Orchis (type genus) and many commonly cultivated plants like some Phalaenopsis or Cattleya.
5 Subfamilies of orchids are recognized:
- Apostasioidae
- Cypripeodioidae
- Vanilloidae
- Orchidoidae
- Epidendroidae
Moreover, since the introduction of tropical species in the 19th century, horticulturists have produced more than 100,000 hybrids and cultivars.
The complex mechanisms which orchids evolve to achieve cross-pollination were investigated by Charles Darwin and described in his 1862 book Fertilization of Orchids.
Orchidaceae are cosmopolitan, occurring in almost every habitat apart from deserts and glaciers. The great majority is to be found in the tropics, mostly Asia, South America and Central America, but they are also found above the Arctic Circle, in southern Patagonia and even on Macquarie Island, close to Antarctica.
The following list gives a rough overview of their distribution:
• Tropical America: 250 to 270 genera
• Tropical Asia: 260 to 300 genera
• Tropical Africa: 230 to 270 genera
• Oceania: 50 to 70 genera
• Europe and temperate Asia: 40 to 60 genera
• North America: 20 to 25 genera
Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Druce) Soó, Nom. Nov. Gen. Dactylorhiza: 8 (1962).
Considering the orchid richness of the neighbouring countries it seems safe to estimate that more than 800 species may eventually be recorded from Cambodia. The following checklist of 811 taxa enumerates not only species currently known from Laos but also those that, based on knowledge about their distribution and ecology, may be expected to be found there in the future.
the official database from KEW indicates 84 Genera, 262 species and 19 subspecies (2017).
the official database from KEW indicates 84 Genera, 262 species and 19 subspecies (2017).
