Orchids are named under the same international system that governs the naming of all other plants. But orchids aren't exactly like other plants. The orchid family is incredibly large and orchid species interbreed so easily that it is often difficult to tell where one species stops and the next begins. It is the taxonomists' challenge to organize the myriad forms and colors of orchids into neat and discrete categories.
100% natural formula for all your skin problems. Excellent for diabetics.
The complexity of these categories is reflected in the fine distinctions made among apparently similar plants and hybrids that have elaborate family trees. However, the basic principles are those followed in the naming of any plant. Few people can rattle off the various rules and exceptions of orchid naming, but for any grower, even a general notion of the system will contribute to the enjoyment to be derived from this remarkably diverse family of plants.
To understand how an orchid gets its name, it is best to start at the top, with the orchid family (Orchidaceae). For most plants, the next major category used below family is the genus. Because the orchid family is so large, botanists use intermediate categories between the family and genus called tribe and subtribe, categories that can be helpful because they show how the plants in the different genera are related.
Acne keeping you down? Try this 100% natural ointment and change your life forever.
The genus Miltonia, for example, is in the subtribe Oncidiinae. This subtribe also includes the genera Oncidium, Odontoglossum, and Brassia, all of which have similar characteristics and hybridize easily.
Again for most plants, a genus is divided into species, the basic units of classification in both the plant and animal kingdoms. The genus Miltonia, for example, contains the species spectabilis. An easy way to remember how genus and species names are related is to look at the first few letters of both words. Genus is general; species is specific. The plants in a given species are all quite similar, but you will still find differences in flower size, shape, and color, as well as in the leaves, stems, and pseudo bulbs.
100% natural anti-aging serum great for masking wrinkles and rejuvenating skin.
Sometimes certain plants in a species share a characteristic that makes them different from others in the species, but not quite different enough to justify a new species name. If such a group is found in nature, it is called a variety. Variety names are often preceded by the abbreviation var. Miltonia spectabilis var. moreliana, for example, has rose rather than white flower petals, but aside from this difference in color it is virtually identical to the white-petaled forms of Miltonia spectabilis.
Variety names are used primarily by botanists, who study populations of wild plants. In horticulture-the study of cultivated plants-the term "cultivar" is used more frequently. Cultivars are plants selected for their desirable features and propagated in ways that perpetuate those features. A cultivar may be selected from a species, hybrid, or a variety. It may be propagated by division, offshoots, mericloning, or by any other asexual method that produces offspring similar to the parent plant. Cultivar names are printed in roman letters. The first letter is capitalized, and the entire name is enclosed in single quotes. For example, it turns out that one of the prettiest forms of Miltonia spectabilis var. moreliana has been widely cultivated and awarded. This clone, named 'Royalty', is a cultivar of a variety. It takes its place at the bottom of the family tree.
Stop losing your hair with this outstanding, 100% natural formula.
FOR MEN AND WOMEN.