Orchid Glossary

Alba

White form of a flower.

AM

Award of Merit. Second-highest flower-quality award given by the American Orchid Society for plants scoring 79.5-89.4 award points. An AM can also be bestowed by the Royal Horticultural Society (AM/RHS).

Angraecoid

Term used to describe the monopodial orchids that belong to the African Angraeceum orchids and their close relatives.

AOS

American Orchid Society.

Backbulb

An old, often leafless, sympodial pseudo bulb that is still alive and can be used for propagating a new plant.

Bare-root

A method of shipping an orchid with its roots un-potted and bare of potting medium.

Bifoliate

Having two leaves on a single pseudo bulb.

Binomial nomenclature

In Latin, literally a "two-name name," a two-word phrase that is the scientific way of naming living things, with the first term the genus and the second the species.

Bud

Common term for a flower before it begins enlarging, although it is also applied to a tiny new growth or leaf.

Capsule

The seedpod of an orchid, often containing thousands, even millions, of seeds.

CBR

Certificate of Botanical Recognition. An AOS award given only once to an orchid species when it is first displayed in bloom.

CCM

Certificate of Cultural Merit. An AOS award presented to the grower of a well-cultivated orchid plant.

Central growing point

On a monopodial orchid, this is where the upright vegetative growth will begin.

CHM

Certificate of Horticultural Merit. An AOS award given to a species of outstanding interest to growers.

CITES

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The multinational agreement that lists which plant and animal species are considered endangered and the rules by which their trade is governed.

Cleistogamous

Term used to describe a flower that self-pollinates, often without even opening the flower fully; relatively rare in orchids.

Clone

All the various vegetative manifestations (divisions, meristem propagations, and so forth) of a single orchid plant grown originally from a single seed; designated by single quotes around its name.

Column

The fused sexual organ of an orchid flower, found atop the lip.

Community pot

Many tiny seedlings planted together in a single container before they are individually repotted.

Compot

Common term meaning "community pot."

Cool temperature

For orchids, a minimum winter nighttime temperature of 45°F, with daytime temperatures 15-30°F higher.

Cross

The progeny that result from transferring pollen from one plant to the flower of another; the act itself.

Crown

The central part of the rosette of leaves in a monopodial orchid such as Phalaenopsis, from which new growth arises upward.

Cultivar

In orchids, a specific plant grown from a single seed; designated by single quotes around its name.

Deciduous

The term used to describe the loss of leaves or other growths upon maturity or at the end of a growing season, with regrowth after a dormant rest.

Diploid

Having a normal number of two sets of chromosomes; also known as 2N.

Division

Making new plants from old by cutting the rhizome of a sympodial orchid into pieces containing pseudo bulbs and rhizome or by cutting off the top half of a stem of a vine like orchid.

Dormancy

A rest period during which no vegetative growth occurs, often following a growth period and/or the loss of leaves or other growths; may require cooler temperatures and less water.

Dorsal sepal

In orchids, the uppermost "petal" of a flower.

Epiphytic

Term used to describe any plant that grows above the ground and attaches to something else for support; nutrients are not taken from the supporting host but are derived instead from rain, air, and available debris.

Equitant

In orchids, having all the leaves arranged flat in one plane; specifically refers to a type of Oncidium.

FCC

Highest flower-quality award given by the American Orchid Society for plants scoring 89.5-100 award points. An FCC can also be bestowed by the Royal Horticultural Society (FCC/RHS), which, in fact, originated the award.

Flask

A clear container used for the laboratory germination of orchid seeds or for growing other laboratory micro propagated orchid seedlings.

Flask-grown

Term used to describe an orchid grown via micro propagation techniques such as mericloning or stem propagation, and therefore a clone of some original specific plant, rather than grown from seed.

Floriferous

Term used to describe a plant that flowers freely.

Flower spike

A common term for any of the various types of the more properly termed flower inflorescence, whether bearing a solitary bloom atop a single stalk or in racemes or panicles of many flowers.

Foot-candle

A measure of light useful in determining intensity of light for growing orchids; the illumination produced by a candle at a distance of one foot.

Genera

Plural of genus.

Genus

A group of orchids that are classified together because of similar traits and an assumed common ancestry; there are some 860 naturally occurring orchid genera and an additional 550 manmade intergeneric ones.

Grex

Term used to refer to the group of progeny of a specific cross.

Growths

Any new shoots that emerge, whether they be pseudo bulb, rhizome, leaf, stern, inflorescence, or root.

HCC

Highly Commended Certificate. Lowest of the three flower-quality awards given by the American Orchid Society, for plants scoring 74.5-79.4 points.

High light

For orchids, the brightest category of light-level needs, generally above 3,000 foot-candles, and typically found only in sunrooms, in greenhouses, outdoors, in southern windows, or under high-intensity-discharge artificial lights.

Hybrid

The resulting progeny from the union of two different species (known as a primary hybrid), or of a species and a hybrid, or of two hybrids (known as a complex hybrid).

Inflorescence

The flowering portion of the orchid, in whatever of the various general arrangements, such as raceme, panicle, or solitary scape; often loosely referred to as the "spike."

Intergeneric

Between two or more genera, usually referring to the hybridization that occurs therein.

Intermediate temperature

For orchids, a minimum winter nighttime temperature of 55°F, with daytime temperatures 15-25°F higher.

JC (Judges' Commendation)

Award given by the American Orchid Society for special plant and/or flower characteristics.

JOGA

Japanese Orchid Growers Association. Term often found on orchid nametags, since this group also bestows awards (GM, or Gold Medal; SM, or Silver Metal; BM, or Bronze Metal).

Keiki

A plantlet that develops from an orchid's flower inflorescence or cane.

Labellum

The third petal of an orchid flower, modified by evolution into a lip often used as an attractive landing platform for pollinators.

Lateral sepal

Term used to refer to the two lowermost sepals that extend to the sides, versus the topmost dorsal sepal.

Lip

The orchid labellum.

Lithophytic

Term used to describe any plant that grows attached to a rock; a subset of epiphytic life.

Low light

For orchids, the lowest category of light-level needs, generally between 1,200 and 2,000 foot-candles, and typically found on any windowsill (a bit back from the glass on brightest southern ones) or 8 inches under four fluorescent artificial tubes.

Medium

The potting material or mix of materials that is being used inside an orchid pot; the medium may be organic or inorganic.

Medium light

For orchids, the middle category of light-level needs, generally between 2,000 and 3,000 foot-candles, and typically found on all windowsills except northern ones, or under high-intensity-discharge artificial lights.

Mericlone

A generally exact copy of an original orchid plant made via the laboratory technique of meristem propagation; since it is a specific cultivar, it is designated by single quotes around its name.

Meristem

Technically, the actively dividing cell tissue taken from root tips and from the tips of new growths or floral shoots; sometimes loosely used to refer to the mericlone plant that is produced from the laboratory propagation of meristem tissue.

Micro-propagation

Making new orchids by any of the laboratory techniques, including meristem tissue propagation and sterile seed culture.

Monopodial

One of the two forms of orchid vegetative growth (the other is sympodial), wherein a single vegetative shoot grows continually upward, such as in the central rosette of Phalaenopsis and the more vine like Vanda orchids.

Multifloral

Having more than one flower per inflorescence.

Natural hybrid

A hybrid that occurs in the wild without the help of humans.

Node

A distinct joint or notch on an inflorescence, stem, or pseudo bulb from which a flower stem, leaves, or roots can emerge; a term often used to refer to the place on a Phalaenopsis inflorescence above which a cut can be made to induce a secondary bloom.

Nomenclature

A system of naming.

Nonresupinate

In orchids, those plants whose flower lips are positioned uppermost relative to the inflorescence axis; the vast majority of orchid flowers are resupinate.

Panicle

A type of flower inflorescence wherein the flowers are loosely arranged on a branching stem and open from the lowest or inner branches to the top.

Peloric

In orchids, a term used to describe an unusual and often beautiful (sometimes grotesque) condition where all three petals (instead of just one) attempt to fashion themselves into lip colors and/or shapes.

Petal

In orchids, one of the three inner segments of the flower that are positioned between the three sepals; one of the petals is modified into a lip.

Pod

Term used to refer to the seedpod or capsule.

Pollinia

Waxy pollen clumps or grains usually found in the anthers of most orchids; often yellow, distinct, and found under the pollen cap of the column.

Pseudo bulb

The thickened stem of a sympodial orchid arising from a rhizome that has so evolved for water-storage capacity but is not a true bulb.

Pseudo-bulbless

Containing no pseudo bulbs.

Raceme

A simple type of flower inflorescence that looks like a long stem with flowers arising along it.

Reed-stem

A type of growth wherein stems and pseudo bulbs resemble reeds or canes, particularly in Epidendrum and Dendrobium orchids.

Resupinate

In orchids, those plants whose flower lips are positioned lowermost relative to the inflorescence axis; the vast majority of orchid flowers are resupinate.

Rhizome

In orchids, a root-bearing stem that usually grows horizontally atop the substrate or potting mix, from which leafy growths such as pseudo bulbs are sent up; sometimes called the rootstock.

RHS

Royal Horticultural Society.

Scape

A simple flower inflorescence that is topped by a solitary flower, such as in many Paphiopedilum.

Seed-grown

Term used to describe an orchid grown from seed, usually in sterile laboratory conditions, rather than grown from meristem cloning techniques, and therefore a unique, original plant.

Seedling

An unbloomed young orchid.

Seedpod

The capsule bearing the seeds of an orchid.

Selfing

Method of seed-propagating an orchid by placing its pollen on its own stigma; also known as self-fertilizing.

Semi-alba

A white flower with a colored lip.

Semi-terrestrial

Term used to refer to orchids that grow near or on the ground in extremely loose, open substrate.

Sepal

One of the three outer parts of an orchid flower, one of which is usually topmost and known as the dorsal, the other two lower sepals being known as the laterals.

Sib cross, sibling cross

Method of seed propagation of an orchid wherein the pollen of one orchid is placed on the stigma of another orchid that was originally grown in the same seedpod as the first orchid, therefore a cross pollination of siblings.

Sibling

An orchid that is related to another orchid by virtue of having been produced from the same seedpod.

Species

A group of living things that appear to have common ancestry so closely related that their characteristics definitely separate them all from any other group; a further division of a genus.

Specimen

Term usually used to refer to an orchid that has been allowed to grow to great size and floriferousness instead of being divided; also refers to the species that typifies a genus.

Spike

Term often loosely used to refer to all flower inflorescences, but technically an unbranched flower stem with short-stalked or stalkless flowers.

Splash petal

An orchid flower that modifies its petals by duplicating the coloring found on the lip; a type of peloric condition.

Stalk

A part of the plant that supports something else.

Stamen

The male, pollen-bearing organ of the flower.

Stem

The leaf- and flower-bearing part of the plant.

Stem prop

Loose term for "meristem propagation" or the plant that results from this technique.

Stigma

Sticky area of the pistil of a flower that receives the pollen.

Sympodial

One of the two forms of orchid growth (the other is monopodial), wherein each new growth arises from the rhizome of a previous growth, and each new growth is completely capable of bearing an inflorescence.

Systemic

Term used to describe pesticides or fungicides that are taken up by plant leaves and growths and then work from within the plant.

Terete

Type of orchid growth wherein the stem and/or leaves are circular in cross section.

Terrestrial

In orchids, growing in the ground or in the loose substrate atop the ground.

Tetraploid

Genetic aberration wherein the plant has twice as many chromosome sets as normal, often resulting in very vigorous, large plants and flowers.

Throat

The inner portion of a tubular orchid lip.

Tissue culture

Artificial propagation of plants via laboratory mericloning, also known as meristemming.

Unifoliate

Bearing one leaf per growth.

Vandaceous

Term used to describe any large monopodial orchid, particularly used for Vanda orchids and its closely related orchids.

Variety

A subdivision of a species that groups plants with a distinct form that is passed along to the progeny.

Vegetative propagation

The creation of additional plants through division, encouragement of keiki formation, or any various meristematic techniques, but not via seed.

Velamen

The thick layer of corklike, water-absorbing cells surrounding the roots of epiphytic orchids.

Warm temperature

For orchids, a minimum winter nighttime temperature of 60°F, with daytime temperatures 15-25°F higher; very warm would be a night minimum of 65°F, with daytime maximum highs in the 90s.