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Reference · Crops

Orchidaceae

Orchidaceae is one of the largest and most diverse families of monocot plants. In an agricultural context, the crop is valued for its high aesthetic value and use in industrial floriculture, as well as in the food industry, particularly the genus Vanilla.

Main sections

Bulbophyllum49 Cattleya47 Butterfly orchid39 Cymbidium28 Coelogyne19 Calanthe13 Catasetum12 Cephalanthera12 Brassia9 Coralroot7 Cyclopogon7 Calopogon5 Campylocentrum5 Broughtonia4 Chysis4 Cleisostoma4 Comparettia4 Cranichis4 Cleisocentron3 Corybas3
514 sections

What the section contains

Brassia Brassia 9 items Bromheadia finlaysoniana Bromheadia finlaysoniana Broughtonia Broughtonia 4 items Bug orchid Anacamptis coriophora Bulbophyllum Bulbophyllum 49 items Butterfly orchid Platanthera 39 items Caladenia Caladenia 2 items Calanthe Calanthe R. Br. 1 item Calanthe Calanthe 13 items California lady slipper Cypripedium californicum Calopogon Calopogon 5 items Calypso Calypso 1 item Calyptrochilum Calyptrochilum 2 items Campylocentrum Campylocentrum 5 items Canary Island Orchid Orchis canariensis Catasetum Catasetum 12 items Cattleya Cattleya Lindl. 2 items Cattleya Cattleya 47 items Cattleya bicalhoi Cattleya bicalhoi Caularthron Caularthron 1 item Centroglossa Centroglossa 1 item Cephalanthera Cephalanthera 12 items Ceratocentron Ceratocentron 1 item Chamaegastrodia Chamaegastrodia 1 item Chamorchis Chamorchis 1 item Chaubardiella Chaubardiella 1 item Chelonistele Chelonistele 1 item Chiloschista Chiloschista 2 items Chloraea Chloraea 2 items Chysis Chysis 4 items Chytroglossa Chytroglossa 1 item Cirrhaea Cirrhaea 1 item Cleisocentron Cleisocentron 3 items Cleisostoma Cleisostoma 4 items Cleistes Cleistes 1 item Cleistesiopsis Cleistesiopsis 2 items Clematepistephium Clematepistephium 1 item Clowesia Clowesia 2 items Clustered lady's slipper Cypripedium fasciculatum Cochleanthes Cochleanthes 1 item Coelogyne Coelogyne 19 items Common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii Comparettia Comparettia 4 items Coralroot Corallorhiza 7 items Coryanthes Coryanthes 2 items Corybas Corybas 3 items Corymborkis Corymborkis 1 item Cranichis Cranichis 4 items Cremastra Cremastra 2 items Crepidium metallicum Crepidium metallicum Cryptopus Cryptopus 1 item Cyclopogon Cyclopogon 7 items Cycnoches Cycnoches Lindl. Cycnoches Cycnoches 1 item Cylindrolobus Cylindrolobus 2 items Cymbidiella Cymbidiella 1 item Cymbidium Cymbidium Sw. 3 items Cymbidium Cymbidium 28 items Cynorkis Cynorkis 1 item Cypripedium hybrids Cypripedium hybrids

Orchidaceae

The family has a nearly global distribution, except for permafrost zones and deserts. The primary diversity of species is concentrated in tropical and subtropical belts, where plants grow as epiphytes, lithophytes, or terrestrial forms.

Botanical features include the presence of specialized roots with velamen for moisture absorption from the air, symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi, and a unique flower structure consisting of three sepals and three petals, one of which is modified into a labellum for pollination.

Agronomic requirements depend on the species, but common needs include high demand for diffused light, maintaining air humidity at 60-80%, and the use of specialized substrates based on coniferous bark, sphagnum, or coconut fiber to ensure root system aeration.

  • Regular irrigation with soft water without moisture stagnation.
  • Temperature regime control based on the species' origin.
  • Timely fertilization with specialized mineral fertilizers.
  • Infection prevention during high humidity conditions.

Major diseases include fusarium wilt, bacterial rot, and anthracnose caused by poor agronomic practices. Among the pests, spider mites, scale insects, mealybugs, and thrips are the most dangerous, requiring the application of systemic insecticides and acaricides to maintain the commercial quality of the produce.