» Contact Us:
The society meets on the third monday of every month at 19:45 (7.45pm) at the Uniting Church Hall. Carrington Ave, Strathfield.
Visitors are always welcome.
Our Orchid Shows for 2005:
Ashfield Mall: Date to be announced.
Rockdale Plaza: 20th to 23rd October.
Exhibiting at NSW Orchid Society Show - St Ives Shopping Centre: Date to be announced
» Return to the main pageOrchids (Orchidaceae) are the largest family of flowering plants
(angiosperms) in the world. Approximately 30,000 species have been described. This
constitutes almost 10% of all known flowering plants! The most familiar
orchids to most
people are the Cymbidiums or Phallenopsis which
are frequently seen as potted plants and cut flowers, respectively. Many people believe orchids are exclusively tropical
plants and while many are indeed
tropical, orchids also occur in a range of other climates. Orchids can be found on every continent with with exception of Antartica and occur in
a variety of vegetation communities from the alpine tundra to tropical forests and everything in between. Some orchids have
large, colourful flowers which are often perfumed, while others have
tiny inconspicuous flowers. The diversity of species of orchid is parall
eled only by the diversity of flowers the group produce.Orchids can be divided into two broad groups, those that grow in trees (without harming the tree) called epiphytes and those
which grow in the ground called terrestrial. Both groups contain a number of
fasciating plants that vary markedly in their ease of cultivation. Although public perception marks orchids as difficult plants to grow - this is untrue for a large number of orchid species.
