Orchids comprise one of the largest family of flowering plants with 25,000 species belonging to 600 800 genera. They are prized
for their incredible diversity in the size, shapes and color and attractiveness of their flowers and high keeping qualities even upto 10
wks. Most of the orchids have originated from tropical humid forests of Central and South America, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, South
China, Thailand, Malayasia, Philippines, New Guinea and Australia. Brazilian Cattleya, Mexican Laelia and Indian Cymbidiun,
Dendrobium and Vanda have played a major role in developing present day beautiful hybrid orchids which number more than
2,00,000. Orchids are found in nearly every environment in the world. Epiphytic orchids like Aerides, Aranda, Aranthera, Bulbophyllun,
Calanthe, Cattleya, Coelogyne, Dendrobium, Laelia, Phalaenopsis, and Thunia wíth thick leaves and succulent sterns have CAM and
are drought tolerant with higher water use efficiency. Orchids are organically viable and grown easily in iocally available media
including fir bark, coconut husk, sphagnum moss, tree fern fibers, coco peat, saw dust and perlite, and freguently a miture of two
or three of these materials. Orchidscaping in the specially prepared beds or attached to trees, shrubs or rocks in combination with
other traditional ornamentals such as palms, ferns, flowering perennials, shrubs, trees arnd herbs etc. create some of the most
interesting and beautiful gardens. Several local species of Ascocentrum, Calanthe, Cymbidium, Dendrobiun, Paphiopedilum, Vanda,
etc. are in great demand in international market for breeding materials. Among the cut flower crops, Aeridovanda, Arachnis, Aranda,
Cattleya, Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Mokara, Odontoglossum, Oncidium, Paphiopedilum, Phalaenopsis, Renanthera, Rhyncocentrum,
Rhyncovanda Vanda, Vascostylis, etc. are important. Important orchid genera used as potted plants in the internationai market are
Ascocenda, Brassia, Cattleya, Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Epidendrum, Miltonia, Oncidium, Paphiopedilum, Phalaenopsis, and Vanda.
Orchids are rich in alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, carbohydrates and other phytochemicals and play an important role in herbai
preparations. Orchids are distributed from tropical to alpine zones in forest trees, secondary vegetations, river banks, bamboo and
palm thickets, forest floor, grassy slopes and rocky areas.