ORCHESTRION, i:ir-kics'tri-ini (from orches tra). A mechanical instrument with powerful reed pipes. By skillful devices almost all the wind instruments of the orchestra are imitated. The idea was originally conceived by a French man, M. de Saint-Pern, in 1870. It was then perfected by F. T. Kauffmann, and is to-day ex tensively used in places of amusement instead of a regular orchestra.
Iabellum, and in the bottom of which the nectar is secreted. In a curious Madagascar orchid the spur attains the length of 10 or 11 inches. A prominent technical character of the family is the fusion of the one or two stamens with the style or stigma, forming a central mass called the column. In general also the pollen is not granu lar. hut the pollen grains together in one or more masses (pollinia), which are earried away by insects. The fruit is usually a capsule, the seeds are like fine sawdust in appearance, and are so numerous that a single capsule of a 1\faxillaria. it has been estimated, may contain more than 1.700.000. The root is usually com posed of simple cylindrical fibres. which are often accompanied by one or more fleshy tuber cles or bulbs, a tubercle dying and a new one being produced annually. The habits of orchids are almost as varied as their tloral strueture, and upon this basis they are often grouped tinder these heads., some are saprophytes, and have lost entirely the green color of independent plants, being usually of a brownish or yellowish hue. as the contino., of the United state,. other orchid. are epiphytes. and arc found in the moist atmosphere of tropical or sub tropical regions. On account of the special food reservoirs which they develop, they are looking plants. in general resendding coarse bulbs with not very attraetive leme..but their dowers are often exceedingly brilliant. Among the epiphytic orelthls two forms of roots are oped, clinging roots by which attachment is se cured, and roots which hang down to absorb water for the plant. The third group eomprises the terrestrial orchids, among which some of the largest and many of the most prized forms. Orchids are found in all parts of the world except the coldest and the most arid, but are most numerous in the humid forests of the torrid zone, and especially in Mexico and Codral and South America, which furnish such genera as Cattleya, Odontoglossum, and Oneidium. Calypso borealis ranges in ish America, as far north as latitude Fully :3000 species are under cultivation, while the hylorids and varieties are innumerable. In
the United States, inelnding Alaska. there are about 75 species. distributed in 20 genera, and of these, seven or eight. belonging to the genus Epidendrum, and found in Florida and other t:ulf States, are epiphyles, all the other species being terrestial. Few genera except Salep and Vanilla have a commercial value aside from vulture as ornamentals. The prevailing colors of orchids arc rose, or lilac, yellow, white, and green. The odor of some species resembles that of violets or orris-root. Of North American orchids a number are very striking, especially Arethusa bulbosa, Pogonia ophioglossoides. the purple. white, and the yellow fringed orchids or habenarias, and the showy, the yellow, and the pink (Cypripedinni).
The culture of orchids began in England about 1820, but. I lid not become general in the United States before 1865. There are many fine public and private collections of growing orchids, and al most falml )11.: prices have been paid for single rare specimens. Many epiphytal orchids may s' planted in pots filled with loose fibrous peat : the routs Of oilers are played in baskets or are fastened to blacks of wood or cork. with a little moss around them to retain moisture. and are thus placed on shelves. or :11T suspended from the roof of the hot-house. Ventilation and tem perature must he carefully attended to. and the atmosphere must not be constantly very hot and humid. but seasons of rest must be given to the plants. since in their native climate they have generally a wet and a dry season. \lost of the American species can be easily grown in shaded gardens.
Consult : Lindley. Folia Orehirlarea (London, : MID, The Fertilization of Oirhiel.c bit Inserts (ib_ 1802) : Midler. The Fertilization of F•'lowerc (trans., : Sander. harhia, Orchids Illustrated and Drsyr'ibrrl (Ber lin and London. : Moore. 1l/rt.cft•nlions of Orvhidaccons Plants (London, : \Varner, orchidarcons Plants (ib., ; Burhidge, root Orchids and How to Grow Them (ib., 1874) ; Williams, The Orchid-Grower's Manual (ib., 1885) : Jennings. Orchids (ib., 1874); _Miner, Orchids, the Royal Family of Plants (Boston, 1884) Linden, Les orchith'es e.zotiques et leer culture (Brussels. 1894) ; Bohnhos, Die tionnairc (les ure•lin1crrs hybridts (l'aris, 1895) ; Cogniaux, Dictionnaire etriconographic des or ehith'es (13russels, 1897) ; Rand, .1 Complete Manuel of Orchid Culture 1888).