Orchidaceae

  • Family

    Orchidaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Orchidaceae

  • Common Names

    Orchid Family

  • Description

    Number of genera: 750-80

    Number of species: 19,500

    Distribution (from PLANTAE): This is a subcosmopolitan family, with representatives in all phytogeographic regions and climates, but the majority of taxa on all levels are tropical. Most genera are, however, restricted to only one continent; only 11 genera are pantropic, and only 21 more genera show a transoceanic distribution, and 27 genera are terrestrial, which may indicate an early expansion of the family, before the epiphytic mode of life evolved.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Orchidaceae: [Book] Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

    Orchidaceae: [Book] Britton, Nathaniel L. & Millspaugh, Charles F. 1920. The Bahama Flora.