Orchidaceae

Non-woody (herbaceous) terrestrial perennial plants with the middle petal known as the lip and dissimilar to the two side (lateral) petals in shape, size and/or colour, sometimes forming a pouch, divided into lobes or bearing a tubular projection (spur), tufts of hairs, fringes, bumps or other unique structures; includes Lady’s-slippers as well as Adder’s-mouths, Coral-roots, Ladies’-tresses, Rattlesnake Plantains, Twayblades, and an assortment of others.

Flowers highly diverse, solitary to clustered, large and showy to minute and inconspicuous, and bilaterally symmetrical. Flower usually twists 180 degrees during development so that the lip becomes the lowermost petal. This petal attracts and/or guides insect pollinators, and each orchid species is usually only pollinated by a specific pollinator or group of insects. Petals 3, separate or fused, sometimes spotted or variously coloured. Sepals separate or fused, 3 (or 2 by fusion), green or resembling petals. Stamens 1 or 2 (rarely 3), fused to the style and stigma to form a complex structure called the column, unique to orchids. Pollen clustered into masses (pollinia). Carpels 3, fused, style 1, the functional part of the stigma on the underside of the column, and the ovary located below the point of attachment of the other flower parts (inferior). Fruit a dry capsule, usually opening by 3 to 6 slits to release many thousands of minute, dust-like seeds that are dispersed by the wind. The seeds contain no nourishment for the developing plant, requiring nutrients provided by soil fungi (mycorrhizae) for germination.

Leaves usually alternate, spiral or two-ranked, at base of plant or along stem, simple with smooth edges, usually with parallel veins, sometimes reduced.

Plants upright. Underground portions of stems often thickened to form structures resembling bulbs.

Globally is one of the largest plant families, with most species occurring in the tropics and living on other plants (epiphytes), using them for support without robbing them of nutrients. All New Brunswick species are ground-dwellers.