Orchid Terms You Should Know

Picture
Bulbophyllum Elizabeth Ann 'Buckleberry' FCC/AOS
  • Back bulb  An old pseudobulb behind the part of a sympodial orchid that is actively growing. Although there may be no leaves, the presence of undamaged “eyes” is a sign that growth is possible.
  • Bifoliate  Having two leaves on each growth, usually atop a pseudobulb. 
  • Column  The tiny, rounded, column-like extension at the base of the lip. This is the central reproductive organ of the orchid flower and contains both male (pollinia) and female (stigma) parts.
  • Epiphyte  A plant growing upon another plant, such as on a tree. 
  • Inflorescence  The flowering part of a plant; the flower stem.
  • Keiki  A small plantlet growing from a node on a flower stem or pseudobulb.  From the Hawaiian word for child.
  • Lip  A petal that has been modified to look different from the other petals.  The lip is often the most distinctive part of an orchid flower.
  • Lithophyte  A plant growing on or among rocks.    
  • Medium  The material that an orchid is planted in, usually not soil but an open, free-draining substance such as bark, Perlite, etc. 
  • Mericlone  A plant derived from tissue culture that is genetically identical to its parent.   
  • Meristem  The actively growing tissue emanating from the ventral growth point of a plant. Meristematic tissue is used for artificial cloning – the production of mericlones.
  • Monopodial  Vertical growth habit where leaves emerge from a single stem growing upward.  Examples: Phalaenopsis, Vanda.
  • Node  A joint on a stem or pseudobulb from which a leaf or growth emerges.  
  • Pollinia  Little waxy bundles of pollen.  
  • Pseudobulb  A thickened portion of the stem, resembling a bulb, of many orchids. The pseudobulb functions as a water and food storage device.
  • Sepal  The outer segments of an orchid flower, usually but not always similar to petals.
  • Spike  A flower stalk. 
  • Sympodial  Horizontal growth habit where new growths emerge from the base of old growths.  Examples: Cattleya, Paphiopedilum. 
  • Terrestrial  Growing in the ground. 
  • Throat  The inner portion of a tubular orchid lip, often differently colored. 
  • Unifoliate  Having one leaf on each growth, usually at the top of a pseudobulb. 
  • Yellowing​  Term used when a leaf is turning yellow.  It can be due to normal aging of the leaf, or to disease, or it can be a symptom of too much light.    
Sources: New Hampshire Orchid Society (www.nhorchids.org), American Orchid Society (www.aos.org)