Orchid
by Sanaiye
The Goofy Orchidaceae
Have you ever seen a plant look like a stick figure? Can you imagine a plant that can look like an insect? If you don’t know of one, well the plant is an orchid. You might be surprised to hear about an orchid.
For instance, they may be the largest group of plants with many types like vanilla orchids, Laelia lobata, Laelia pumila, and plenty more. There are 25,000 to 30,000 different species of orchids.
Orchids are very unique and most people know what they look like. Their petals can be many different colors, such as pink, purple, orange, white, and many more.
Home, Sweet, Home
Have you ever wondered where orchids grow? Well, I’m about to tell you.
They can grow on rocks, water, or underground and they can live by perching (sitting) on other plants. Here’s a good one, they are able to grow in different tropical countries. They can also grow in almost all climates except for frigid (very cold) and arid (not having enough rainfall) extremes.
Now you don’t have to wonder where orchids grow anymore, so my job here is done.
Oooh, You’re Bad
Did you think by the title the orchid is a bad plant? Well, no way Jose. Why, I said that to be funny. The orchid can really behave, but not in a bad way.
Okay, let’s get to the point. Well there is something called a symbiotic relationship (when two living things depend on each other) with the orchid and fungi. Fungi are organisms that feeds on other organisms. The fungi help the orchid stay alive and the orchid “repays” the fungi back. Also some epiphytic orchids (orchids that live on other plants) store water and food reserves in swollen stems called pseudobulbs. Don’t you call my plant baby bad, okay people? That is how my plant behaves.
I’m Going to Eat You
Do you know who is going to eat my orchid? Well, I’m about to tell you so hold your horses! Well, here it goes.
Pill bugs, aphids (tiny insects) and sow bugs (roly-poly insects) eat the orchid’s roots. That is gross and kind of weird. They are what eats my plant and now you can be quiet and CHILL.
Orchids also have one big problematic pest, it is an aphid. It eats the orchid’s roots and there are 4,400 different species of aphids. They also lay eggs very quickly and they suck the sap out of the plants which could cause it to die.
WARNING: Don’t get an orchid in your house because the aphids can get to it and it will be…To be continued…
Live Life as an Orchid
Picture seeing what is going on with an orchid and how they can get all over the world. Well, I’m about to tell you something like that.
An orchid actually goes through a sequence (cycle). First it must be fertilized (when a male part of the flower meets the female part). This is how they reproduce, or make babies. Isn’t that awesome? Once fertilized, they start as a small tiny seed and also one orchid can produce million of them! Second, they are a seedling. Next, they grow into a plant over a period of time. As plants, they grow beautiful flowers like as beautiful as my dog. Then, it will just keep doing this life cycle over and over again. Also, they take about 9 to 14 months to complete a full life cycle. Well those are some of the facts I know about the orchid and how it can go through a sequence.
Now that you know these facts, do you want to see an orchid?
by Sanaiye
The Goofy Orchidaceae
Have you ever seen a plant look like a stick figure? Can you imagine a plant that can look like an insect? If you don’t know of one, well the plant is an orchid. You might be surprised to hear about an orchid.
For instance, they may be the largest group of plants with many types like vanilla orchids, Laelia lobata, Laelia pumila, and plenty more. There are 25,000 to 30,000 different species of orchids.
Orchids are very unique and most people know what they look like. Their petals can be many different colors, such as pink, purple, orange, white, and many more.
Home, Sweet, Home
Have you ever wondered where orchids grow? Well, I’m about to tell you.
They can grow on rocks, water, or underground and they can live by perching (sitting) on other plants. Here’s a good one, they are able to grow in different tropical countries. They can also grow in almost all climates except for frigid (very cold) and arid (not having enough rainfall) extremes.
Now you don’t have to wonder where orchids grow anymore, so my job here is done.
Oooh, You’re Bad
Did you think by the title the orchid is a bad plant? Well, no way Jose. Why, I said that to be funny. The orchid can really behave, but not in a bad way.
Okay, let’s get to the point. Well there is something called a symbiotic relationship (when two living things depend on each other) with the orchid and fungi. Fungi are organisms that feeds on other organisms. The fungi help the orchid stay alive and the orchid “repays” the fungi back. Also some epiphytic orchids (orchids that live on other plants) store water and food reserves in swollen stems called pseudobulbs. Don’t you call my plant baby bad, okay people? That is how my plant behaves.
I’m Going to Eat You
Do you know who is going to eat my orchid? Well, I’m about to tell you so hold your horses! Well, here it goes.
Pill bugs, aphids (tiny insects) and sow bugs (roly-poly insects) eat the orchid’s roots. That is gross and kind of weird. They are what eats my plant and now you can be quiet and CHILL.
Orchids also have one big problematic pest, it is an aphid. It eats the orchid’s roots and there are 4,400 different species of aphids. They also lay eggs very quickly and they suck the sap out of the plants which could cause it to die.
WARNING: Don’t get an orchid in your house because the aphids can get to it and it will be…To be continued…
Live Life as an Orchid
Picture seeing what is going on with an orchid and how they can get all over the world. Well, I’m about to tell you something like that.
An orchid actually goes through a sequence (cycle). First it must be fertilized (when a male part of the flower meets the female part). This is how they reproduce, or make babies. Isn’t that awesome? Once fertilized, they start as a small tiny seed and also one orchid can produce million of them! Second, they are a seedling. Next, they grow into a plant over a period of time. As plants, they grow beautiful flowers like as beautiful as my dog. Then, it will just keep doing this life cycle over and over again. Also, they take about 9 to 14 months to complete a full life cycle. Well those are some of the facts I know about the orchid and how it can go through a sequence.
Now that you know these facts, do you want to see an orchid?