Orchids Look Weak, But Many Are Stronger Than They Appear

january 04, 2013

Orchids come in many different shapes and colors

From VOA Learning English, this is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in Special English. I’m Christopher Cruise.

And I’m June Simms. Today we tell about the beauty and science of orchids, some of nature’s most interesting flowers.

Many people think of orchids as beautiful, sweet smelling and costly flowers that grow in hot tropical forests. But that is not the whole story of orchids. Some orchid plants can be found above the Arctic Circle. Some have an unpleasant smell. Not every orchid species is lovely. And if you want to buy an orchid, it will cost you a lot less than it once did. Even as late as 10 or 20 years ago, you might have paid $40 or $50 for the flower.

Orchids are among the most common plants in the world. But some orchids are in danger of disappearing forever. At the same time, orchids grown in factories have become an important greenhouse crop.

Orchid industry sales are important to places like the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. People enjoy orchids as cut flowers and decorative plants.

Orchids come in all shapes, sizes, designs, colors and color combinations. The flowers may be large or very small. But most have some common characteristics or qualities. The sepals of an orchid form the outside of the flower bud before it opens. There also are two regular petals. The third petal is the lip. Orchids share this structure with two other plants: lilies and irises.