| Orchidaceae are well known for the many structural
variations in their flowers.
Some orchids have single flowers but most have a racemose
inflorescence, sometimes with a large number of flowers. The
flowering stem can be basal, that is produced from the base
of the tuber, like in Cymbidium, apical, meaning it
grows from the apex of the main stem, like in Cattleya, or
axillary, from the leaf axil, as in Vanda.
One orchid genus, Vanilla, is commercially important, used as
a foodstuff flavouring.
The underground tubers of terrestrial orchids (mainly Orchis
mascula) are ground to a powder and used for cooking, such as in
the hot beverage salep or the so-called "fox-testicle ice
cream" salepi dondurma.
The scent of orchids is frequently analysed by perfumists (using
Gas-liquid chromatography) to identify potential fragrance
chemicals.
The other important use of orchids is their cultivation for the
enjoyment of the flowers. Most cultivated orchids are tropical or
subtropical, but quite a few which grow in colder climates can be
found on the market. Temperate species available at nurseries
include Ophrys apifera (bee orchid), Gymnadenia conopsea
(fragrant orchid), Anacamptis pyramidalis (pyramidal orchid)
and Dactylorhiza fuchsii (common spotted orchid).
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