Luontoportti

Based on the number of species it contains, the Orchid family is the plant world’s second largest family (and the largest of the monocotyledons). It contains almost 1,000 genera and has over 27,000 confirmed species. The family takes its name from the Greek word for testicle – orkhis – and the reasons are obvious when the root is exposed to reveal a pair of tubers. In Finland there are 33 feral species, of which no fewer than 21 are of different genera. The most familiar orchid in Finland is surely heath spotted orchid.
Most tropical orchids are epiphytes, meaning that they grow on top of other plants and most live in symbiosis with fungal roots.