n. [ See Orchis. ] (Bot.) Any plant of the order Orchidaceae. See Orchidaceous. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Bot.) Pertaining to, or resembling, a natural order (Orchidaceae) of endogenous plants of which the genus Orchis is the type. They are mostly perennial herbs having the stamens and pistils united in a single column, and normally three petals and three sepals, all adherent to the ovary. The flowers are curiously shaped, often resembling insects, the odd or lower petal (called the lip) being unlike the others, and sometimes of a strange and unexpected appearance. About one hundred species occur in the United States, but several thousand in the tropics. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Over three hundred genera are recognized. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. An order of plants with irregular flowers having minute seeds, and including the families Orchidaceae and Burmanniaceae.
Syn. -- order Orchidales. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. (Bot.) Orchidaceous. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Bot.) Same as Orchidaceous. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One versed in orchidology. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; the orchis + -logy. ] The branch of botany which treats of orchids. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Archil. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Bot.) The lichen from which archil is obtained. See Archil. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n.; pl. Orchises [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_; a testicle, the orchis; -- so called from its tubers. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Bot.) A genus of endogenous plants growing in the North Temperate zone, and consisting of about eighty species. They are perennial herbs growing from a tuber (beside which is usually found the last year's tuber also), and are valued for their showy flowers. See Orchidaceous. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) Any plant of the same family with the orchis; an orchid. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The common names, such as bee orchis, fly orchis, butterfly orchis, etc., allude to the peculiar form of the flower. [ 1913 Webster ]