Page 64 - Panama City Living Magazine

Jonnie Smallman’s PASSION FOR ORCHIDSby Jody Wood-Putnam Photography by Michael BooiniThe orchid family, one of the largest families of plants, has approximately 28,000 di erent species. Orchids are native on all continents except for Antarctica. They are exotic, they are elegant. Countries such as Costa Rica, Panama, Singapore, Belize, and Honduras have chosen orchids as their national ower.Tropical species with colorful, spectacular, and sometimes fragrant owers are known by most of us. Orchids can be terrestrial, growing on the ground, or epiphytic, growing on supports such as trees, shrubs, and rocks. Orchid owers have evolved into many diverse forms with some attracting very speci c pollinators. They may have a single ower or may have long scapes with many owers. A high demand and people’s passion for orchids have led to the development of more than 100,000 hybrids and named varieties.64 • March - April 2018 • www.PanamaCityLiving.com