Orchids
Large, beautiful, colourful, somewhat irregular flowers 鈥� then we usually think of orchids. Many orchids indeed have very interesting and beautiful flowers, but not all. It's a very large plant group with very varied flowers.
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There are close to 30,000 species of orchids in the world, all of which are herbaceous perennials. None are trees or shrubs. A large group of orchids, especially in the tropics, are epiphytes and thus grow upon other plants, but many others grow in ground soil. In Norway there are around 30 species, none of which are epiphytes.
The flowers of orchids are heavily influenced by their pollination biology, and many of them have amazing adaptations. The pollen grains are transferred in large numbers together in so-called pollinia, and when so much is invested at once it is important that it ends up in the right place. This is why many orchids have a close symbiosis with specific pollinators and also intricate mechanisms to ensure pollination. The pollinia are often stuck in the right place on the pollinator. This is also why orchid flowers look strange (to our eyes). There are even orchids that trick insects into trying to mate with the flower, thereby transferring the pollinia.
Many orchids are grown as ornamental plants, both as houseplants and in the garden. The pollination mechanisms that orchids have often protect them from hybridisation in the wild, but they can easily be hybridised artificially, which is used in breeding. In recent times, many easy-to-grow and fine varieties have been produced through selection and hybridisation.
Pretty much the only orchid we use in food is vanilla.