Single Beautiful Purple Of Orchid Flower Blooming Isolated On White Background. Pretty Flower In Closeup Stock Image

Orchid, family Orchidaceae is a member of Asparagales, an order of monocotyledonous flowering plants that also includes the asparagus and iris families. The word orchid is derived from the Greek word orchis for testicle because of the shape of the root tubers in some species of the genus Orchis. These nonwoody perennial plants are generally terrestrial or epiphytic herbs growing on other plants rather than rooted in soil. Those attached to other plants often are vinelike and have a spongy root covering called the velamen that absorbs water from the surrounding air. Most species manufacture their own food, but some live on dead organic material saprophytic or are helped to obtain nourishment by a fungus living in their roots.