Orchids are one of the largest family of flowering plants on earth, containing about 28,000 species. This equates to nearly four times the number of mammal species, twice the bird species and nearly equal to the boney fish species. While the flowers vary wildly on form they are commonly have bilateral symmetry, where the left side and right sides mirror one another. They almost universally have fused stamens and carpels, one of their most easily identified traits and highly modified structural variations to the petals of their flowers. They are found in almost every habitat with the exception of glaciers. The highest concentration of orchids are fond in the tropics. They can also be found in southern Patagonia and above the Arctic Circle.

Orchid 1, 2018

ORCHID–01–8860–CLR