Detailed explanation of the morphological characteristics of orchids, helping you quickly get to know orchids

The Orchidaceae family comprises 750 genera and more than 35,000 species, while the genus Cymbidium has more than 70 species. Common cultivated species in China include:

　　

The famous flower of the four seasons, Cymbidium goeringii (C. goeringii):

　　

Also called grass orchid, mountain orchid, and duoduo xiang. One stem bears 1 to 2 flowers, fragrant. Flowering period is February to March. Mainly distributed in the Yangtze River basin and the southwestern region. Traditional precious varieties include Songmei, Longzi, and others. The variety C. goeringii var. serratum has narrower leaves, dark green flowers, and no fragrance or a faint fragrance.

　　

The national treasure Huilan (C. faberi):

　　

Also called jiuzilan and xialan. One stem bears many flowers, usually 6 to 12, fragrant. Flowering period is March to May. Its distribution area is similar to that of Cymbidium goeringii. Traditional famous varieties include Shanghai Mei, Jiepei Mei, Jinao Su, and others.

　　

Ecological characteristics

　　

Perennial herbaceous plant. Roots are fleshy and thickened, without root hairs, and have symbiotic fungi. It has pseudobulbs, commonly called lu tou, covered on the outside with leaf sheaths; often multiple pseudobulbs are connected together and exist in rows at the same time. Leaves are linear or sword-shaped, leathery, upright or drooping; flowers are solitary or in a raceme, with many bracts borne on the pedicel. Flowers are bisexual and fragrant. The corolla consists of 3 sepals, 3 petals, and the column. The middle sepal is called the main petal. The lower 2 are the lateral sepals, and the extent of their spreading is called hu. The upper 2 petals are upright, relatively thick and fleshy, with tips curled inward, commonly called pong. The lower 1 is the lip, relatively large, commonly called lan sun. After maturity it is brown, and the seeds are tiny and powder-like.

　　

According to differences and variations in the shape and texture of the main petal, lateral sepals, pong, and lip, Cymbidium goeringii and Huilan are divided into plum petal, narcissus petal, lotus petal, butterfly petal, rare types, and suxin, and so on. Plum petal means the sepals are short and round, relatively thick and fleshy, slightly curved inward, with a narrow base; the pong petals are thick and fleshy with tips curved inward to form a pocket; the lip is short and hard, and slightly points upward when the flower first opens. Famous varieties include Songmei, Xishenmei, and others. Narcissus petal means the sepals are slightly longer than those of plum petal, with tips gradually pointed; the pong petals are thick in texture and also form a pocket at the tip; the lip droops slightly or curls backward. Famous varieties include Wangzi, Cui Yipin, and others. Lotus petal means the sepals are broad and large, thick in texture, narrow at the base, broad at the tip with an abrupt point; the pong petals do not form a pocket; the lip is relatively moist and slightly curled backward. Famous varieties include Da Fugui, Cuigai Hua, and others. Butterfly petal means that on the inner side of the two downward sepals, the texture becomes thicker and forms wavy wrinkles, and there are red patches; sometimes the number of sepals or petals suddenly increases (such as in Luyun, whose corolla often has about 8 pieces), or the flower shape has special changes. Suxin means the perianth, flower stem, and bracts are the same color, pure green, yellow-green, and so on, without variegated markings of mixed colors, variegated green, yellow-green, and so on, without mixed-color markings. Precious varieties include Zhanghe Su, Lao Wentuan Su, and others.

　　

Orchids are shade-loving by nature and avoid direct sunlight; they like moisture and avoid dryness; they like fertile, sandy loam soil rich in large amounts of humus, well-drained, and slightly acidic; and they are suited to an environment with air circulation.