AMAZING ORCHIDS! Education. Conservation. Research. PAPHIOPEDILUM LOWII, A NATIVE OF INDONESIA, MALAYSIA AND THE PHILIPPINES

Transcription

1 AMAZING ORCHIDS! PAPHIOPEDILUM LOWII, A NATIVE OF INDONESIA, MALAYSIA AND THE PHILIPPINES Education. Conservation. Research.

2 ORCHIDS Orchids are grown for export all over the world. Orchids in the United States are the second most valuable potted plant crop with over $130 million in annual revenue. VANILLA PLANIFOLIA, A NATIVE OF SOUTH AMERICA are amazing! OUR PLANET EARTH IS SPECIAL we are lucky to have not only beautiful oceans and awesome animals, but we have a variety of plants and flowers that give us food, shelter and even medicines. One flowering plant family is truly special. It can grow almost anyplace. It can have tiny flowers you can barely see or as big as 11 inches.(1) It can have one beautiful flower on its stem or hundreds on many stems. One variety grows as tall as 75 feet(2)! Another may only be a few inches in height. It comes in every color of the rainbow, and some are so very dark that they almost appear black(3). It can look just like an insect, butterfly, or spider(4). Some have very strange shapes, and several species resemble decomposing small animals and even appear to be infested with maggots. Some smell wonderful, and others smell awful(5). It has been on the earth from the time of the dinosaurs. Some are fairly common, and some are very, very hard to find(6). We are talking about a plant with flowers that many people believe are the most beautiful on earth the amazing orchid. YWHERE EVERYWHERE ARE A ORCHIDS Moyobamba, Peru, is called the City of Orchids because there are 3,500 species growing there. DID YOU KNOW? Orchids grow everywhere on the planet except in Antarctica and extreme deserts. Orchids are the largest group of flowering plants in nature. There are more than 25,000 species of orchids. New ones are still being discovered. Orchids grow in almost every environment. In the wild you can find them growing on trees, on rocks, in the ground, in rainforests, grasslands, mountains, marshes and bogs. Orchids can be found at sea level or high up in the mountains. MILTONIOPSIS HYBRID, DEVELOPED FROM SPECIES NATIVE TO COLOMBIA (1) A Cattleya Orchid from Colombia can have flowers this large, and even the so-so ones are over 8-9 inches. (2) The Vanilla Orchid grows on a vine that can reach this height. (3) A complex hybrid orchid called Fredclarkeara After Dark (4) The Bee Orchid is one example of an orchid that looks like an insect. Can you guess why? (5) A tiny bog orchid that grows only in Yosemite National Park is described as smelling like sweaty feet. Can you guess why would a flower smell bad? (6) The hard-to-find Ghost Orchid that grows only in deep swampy forests of Florida, the Bahamas and Cuba. It is endangered.

3 CREDITS Written by: Lynn Baden, with support from the American Orchid Society Edited by: Debbie Rahamim, Sun Sentinel; Ron McHatton, American Orchid Society Created by: Louise Duncan Photos: Greg Allikas, AOS Photographer Catt s coloring page: Marion Ruff Sheehan, botanical artist Other illustrations: Elmer W. Smith, botanical artist NOTES ABOUT NIE About the Sun Sentinel News in Education program: Throughout the school year, the Sun Sentinel NIE program provides newspapers, both digital and print, to South Florida schools at no charge. Our goal has been to help teachers help their students, promote literacy, encourage hands-on learning using the newspaper, and help students stay up-to-date on the world around them. Another key focus of our program is providing curriculum materials, like Amazing Orchids!, to enhance lessons in the classroom across all subject areas. These complimentary booklets are aligned with the Sunshine State Standards. For more information about Sun Sentinel News in Education and to download educational materials, visit our website at: SUNSHINE STATE STANDARDS BENCHMARKS Activity: Orchid Science LA ; LA ; LA ; LA ; LA ; LA Activity: Orchid Vocabulary LA ; LA Activity: Find Out About Orchids LA ; LA Activity: Orchid Art LA ; LA VA.A.1.2 Activity: Just for Fun SC.3.L.15.2; SC.3.L.17.1; SC.3.L.17.2 SC.4.L..17.4; SC.L.17.1; SC.4.L.16.4 SC.5.L.17.1; SC.5.L.15.1 Activity: What s the Difference? LA.3.L.2.1; LA ; LA ; LA VA.B.1.2; VA.A.1.2 Activity: Where s the Vanilla? MA.3.A.6.; MA.4.A.6.1; MA.5.A.6.5 SS.3.G.1.1; SS.3.G.1.2; SS.3.G.1.6 SS.4.G.1.4 SS.5.G.1.2; SS.5.G.1.6 Orchids, because of their long history, variety and beauty, are sometimes called The Royal Family of Plants. During World War II, England sent many of their orchid plants to America for safekeeping. Introduction The purpose of this booklet, AMAZING ORCHIDS!, is to open your eyes to the wonderful world of a very unique and special flower. On the way you will learn scientific terms, some vocabulary and geography relating to orchids, about pollination, and the easiest orchids for you to grow. Look at the beautiful photos, do the activities, research and read on your own. The American Orchid Society and the Sun Sentinel News in Education Department hope you will become excited once you learn how interesting these beautiful plants are. People all over the world have been growing, appreciating, and admiring orchids for centuries. We also want you to think about the bigger picture: how orchids fit into nature and the world around us, along with all the plants on the planet. Even as we write this material, orchid habitat is disappearing, and some varieties that haven t been discovered may never be. You can help by learning all you can, growing your own gardens, creating plant and animal habitats, and preserving others. BLC. GEORGE KING SERENDIPITY, A COMPLEX HYBRID DERIVED FROM SOUTH AMERICAN SPECIES

4 DENDROBIUM FARMERI, A NATIVE OF THAILAND PAPHIOPEDILUM LOWII, NATIVE TO INDONESIA, MALAYSIA AND THE PHILIPPINES Orchids are every size and color Look at the pictures throughout this booklet. They represent just a tiny portion of the thousands of orchids found around the world. DID YOU KNOW? - The smallest orchid has flowers only half a millimeter or onehundredth of an inch in diameter! The entire plant is only about a quarter of an inch tall. It grows naturally in the cloud forests in Central America, principally in Costa Rica. You would need a magnifying glass to see the flowers! - The largest orchid plant grows canes that can be more than 25 feet long. There are reports of mature plants weighing up to 2,000 pounds and said to produce up to 10,000 flowers. The species is found in Malaysia, the Solomon Islands, Sumatra, the Philippines, Papua and New Guinea. It is called the Tiger Orchid or Sugar Cane Orchid. Unfortunately, old plants this large probably no longer exist in the wild due to habitat destruction. ACTIVITY: ORCHID SCIENCE There are three types of orchids: epiphytes, lithophytes and terrestrials. Use the library or go online to the American Orchid Society website to research these three terms. Explain what each type of orchid is, and give specific examples of each. Report back to your class on what you have found. PHRAGMIPEDIUM MEMORIA DICK CLEMENTS, A HYBRID DERIVED FROM SPECIES FROM ECUADOR AND PERU Orchids are often mistakenly described as parasites because they are found living in trees or on and around rocks. A true parasite grows and uses its host for some purpose, such as food or water, but they give nothing in return. Orchids may live in trees and rocks, but they don t use them for any purpose other than a place to anchor their roots. ACTIVITY VOC ABULARY ACTIVITY: ORCHID VOCABULARY In addition to the three types of orchids, here are some others terms relating to orchids you should know. Use a dictionary or go online to find out what they mean: pseudobulb perennial rhizome corm tuber aerial roots keiki sheath column anther cap R The importance of pollination Let s talk for a moment about pollination. Plants must have a way to reproduce, or they would die out. Orchids, like most seed-bearing plants, do this mainly by a process called pollination. In regular plants, the pollen is a fine, powder-like material that contains the male reproductive cells. This dust-like pollen can be blown from flower to flower by the wind or carried by insects. Orchid plants have unique pollen. It isn t dust-like. It is carried in small packets called pollinia that cannot be blown by the wind. Orchids depend on insects and birds to move their pollen from one flower to another. The pollen packets are attached to a sticky surface that is used to glue the pollen packet to the pollinator s body. Look at the diagram of an orchid to see the parts that are involved in this process. Pollen from regular plants is distributed in various ways. It can be blown by the wind, carried in rain drops or water, or by insects, birds, and small mammals like bats and rodents. The dust-like pollen sticks to the creature s body as it moves from one flower to another. These carriers are called pollinators. If the pollen is moved from one plant to a different plant it is called crosspollination. If the pollen is transferred within the same plant, it is called self-pollination. Orchids are rarely self-pollinated in the wild. In the wild, wind and rain only help orchids by blowing about their tiny seeds, which land somewhere and grow. However, they are not involved in orchid pollination because the pollinia are too heavy. Furry mammals like bats aren t involved either because the sticky pads on orchid pollinia can t stick to the animal s fur. Insects and birds help, but how? What do you think would make an insect or bird want to visit an orchid long enough to get pollen on their bodies? Why would they come to one kind of flower over another? pollination Orchids are for growing By now you have looked at the beautiful photographs of orchids and have learned new things about them. You may even be interested enough to want to grow your own. So, where do you start? First you might like to know the types of orchids that are the easiest to cultivate at home. Like all living things, orchids need three elements to flourish: light, food, and water. Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid) You see these orchids everywhere for sale. They are excellent for your house because they can grow in low light and will still reflower (bloom more than once). Simply make sure not to let them dry out, give them bright light, and some humidity by placing them on trays set over moistened pebbles. Dendrobium (Spray Orchid) These beautiful orchids need more light and regular watering so they won t dry out. Plant them in a porous, well-drained growing medium designed for orchids. Place them on trays set over moistened pebbles for humidity. Give them bright light. Other orchids that are good to start with are Cattleyas, Oncidiums, and Vandas. These plants need more light and have different watering needs. You can visit the AOS website to research how to grow these plants. Be aware, however! You may find that once you get started growing these amazing flowers, you may be hooked for life! ACTIVITY: FIND OUT ABOUT ORCHIDS To help you decide which orchid you like best, plan a visit to a local botanical garden where orchids are grown and displayed. Look in the Sun Sentinel Digital Edition or go online to for information on gardens in your area. Plan a visit, take a tour, perhaps set up a class trip to places like the American Orchid Society gardens, Butterfly World or even Miami Zoo. Do you know someone who grows orchids? You can always ask them for information. You can also look for them in stores, supermarkets, and flower shops. Ask questions, take notes, and start your orchid collection. Do you like vanilla ice cream? It s America s favorite flavor. Guess what? Vanilla orchids grow on trees as long, climbing vines. Vanilla seeds come from the pod or bean. The little black specks you see in your ice cream are the seeds from the pod. There is even a variety that grows in the Florida Keys. VANDA COERULEA A NATIVE OF THE HIMALAYAS, MYANMAR AND THAILAND PHALAENOPSIS EQUESTRIS, A NATIVE OF THE PHILIPPINES ACTIVITY: ORCHID ART ACTIV ID ART Hopefully you will decide to grow your own orchid. If not, there are more ways to learn about and appreciate these amazing flowers. You can draw a picture of your favorite orchid, create a video, take a photograph or write a poem or song. Decide which orchids you like best, and take it from there to create your own orchid art. Share your art with your class. R JUST FOR FUN! Start an orchid or gardening club at school Grow a garden at your school using only Florida native plants and flowers Grow a herb garden in your classroom or at home At home... Plant a few flowers that attract butterflies and birds Bring flowers to a friend or someone that you care about Give an orchid to someone for a special occasion ACTIVITY: WHAT S THE DIFFERENCE? In nature, plants and animals can have a variety of relationships. Some plants and creatures are described as parasitic. Others are considered symbiotic. Use the media center or go online to find out the difference between the two. Write a paragraph, or create a drawing to demonstrate specific examples of each. (Hint: related words are parasite and symbiosis). Learn more about orchids A welcome from James Jordan, AOS Executive Director: The American Orchid Society is your best source of information on orchids. Below is a description of our botanical gardens and other services they offer. The American Orchid Society Visitor Center and Botanical Garden is a non-profit organization dedicated to the education, research and conservation of orchids. The 4 acre botanical garden contains over 1,000 varieties of palm trees, native plants, flowering and fruit bearing trees, bromeliads, and hundreds of orchids. The orchid display house is a wonderful example of rainforest plants. Indoor and outdoor classrooms, garden tours, and educational displays offer outstanding opportunities for studying Florida s environment. Classroom Connections: Science/Botany Environmental Conservation Florida Native Plant Study Florida History Geography Programs: Docents lead tours through the beautiful botanical garden and orchid greenhouse. Tours include basic orchid information, culture, and interesting orchid history. Guides will discuss unique plant species from around the world located in the botanical garden. Unique water features and a butterfly garden are included in the tour. The garden features an authentic Seminole Indian chickee hut, Florida native plant garden, Everglades boardwalk, and the Vaughn Focus garden. Orchids in everyday life are demonstrated, including food and household uses. School Field Trips: At least three weeks advanced reservation required. Guided one-hour tours offered from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. No admission fee. Complimentary admission tickets for student to return with their family Contact Person for Field Trips: Valerie Smith, Community Relations vsmith@aos.org (561) Open daily to the public 10:00-4:30 (Located next to Morikami Japanese Garden). Websites: Books: Flowers, by Lynn Stone A Kid s Guide to How Flowers Grow, by Patricia Ayers ACTIVITY: WHERE S THE VANILLA? Vanilla is prized for flavoring many foods and is also used in making some perfumes. It is native to Central and South America and is thought to have been first used by the Aztec Indians in a chocolate drink. Today the most prized vanilla comes from Tahiti, Madagascar and Mexico. Locate these countries on a map. Using the miles per inch information as show on the map, calculate how far each country is from Florida. Which is farthest? Which is closest?

5 Cats sitting in the sun, color them for fun.