"In the 1600s, orchids were first used for medicinal purposes, as well as aphrodisiacs when certain orchid roots or tubers, as well as certain leaves, flowers, and seeds resembled certain parts of the human anatomy.
Therefore, if a plant's leaves resembled parts of a human liver, the plant was obviously intended as a remedy for hepatic disease. Alternatively, a heart-shaped flower should cure cardiac ailments. In 1640, John Parkinson, a London apothecary and royal herbalist for Charles I, said that orchids, which he called Cynsorchis, stimulated lust. It was not until the 18th century that botanical science was born and the first attempts at plant classification were made. ... By 1815... Conrad Loddiges, editor of a garden journal and an avid gardener... put orchids in well-ventilated areas under glass and watered them frequently... By 1840, collectors were sent in droves to all parts of the globe to collect orchids, and the plant auctions at Stevens Rooms, King Street, Covent Garden and other establishments were fraught with the excitement and fervor of a racetrack. Orchids were sold for incredible sums - as much as $600 for a single large Cattleya orchid. ... In America [the US], in the years following World War II, plants were imported from foreign countries... Commercial growers, such as Hauserman in Villa Park, Ill. ... which formerly grew roses... switched to orchids. ... As the jungles were stripped for timber plantations or other developments, and endangered species acts mandated... , orchids became scarce. Today it is rare that a collector can obtain [legally...] jungle-collected plants. Thanks to meristem, cultured orchids again become plentiful in the 1980s... Although jungle plants are occasionally available, 95 percent of all orchids sold today are created in laboratories [interesting assertion ! How true is it ?]." URL : http://www.yumasun.com/articles/orchid_43824___article.html/bring_color.html ************** Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
