25 Google Power Search Tips for Genealogists

25 Google Power Search Tips for Genealogists Google is the search engine of choice for most genealogists I know, due to its ability to return relevant search results for genealogy and surname queries and its huge index. Google is much more than just a tool for finding Web sites, however, and most people surfing for information on their ancestors barely scratch the surface of its full potential. If you know what you are doing, you can use Google to search within Web sites, locate photos of your ancestors, bring back dead sites, and track down missing relatives. Learn how to Google as youve never Googled before. Begin With the Basics 1. All Terms Count - Google automatically assumes an implied AND between each of your search terms. In other words, a basic search will only return pages that include all of your search terms. 2. Use Lower Case - Google is case insensitive, with the exception of the search operators AND and OR. All other search terms will return the same results, regardless of the combination of upper and lower case letters used in your search query. Google also ignores most common punctuation such as commas and periods. Thus a search for Archibald Powell Bristol, England will return the same results as archibald powell bristol england. 3. Search Order Matters - Google will return results that contain all of your search terms, but will give higher priority to the earlier terms in your query. Thus, a search for power wisconsin cemetery will return pages in a different ranked order than wisconsin power cemetery. Put your most important term first, and group your search terms in a way that makes sense. Search With a Focus 4. Search for a Phrase - Use quotation marks around any two word or greater phrase to find results where the words appear together exactly as you have entered them. This is especially useful when searching for proper names (i.e. a search for thomas jefferson will bring up pages with thomas smith and bill jefferson, while searching for thomas jefferson will only bring up pages with the name thomas jefferson included as a phrase. 5. Exclude Unwanted Results - Use a minus sign (-) before words that you want to be excluded from the search. This is especially useful when searching for a surname with a common usage such as rice or one which is shared with a famous celebrity such as Harrison Ford. Search for ford -harrison to exclude results with the word harrison. It also works well for cities that exist in more than one area such as shealy lexington south carolina OR sc -massachusetts -kentucky -virginia. You have to be careful when eliminating terms (especially place names), however, because this will exclude pages that have results including both your preferred location and the ones you eliminated. 6. Use OR to Combine Searches - Use the term OR between search terms to retrieve search results that match any one of a number of words. The default operation for Google is to return results that match ALL search terms, so by linking your terms with OR (note that you have to type OR in ALL CAPS) you can achieve a bit more flexibility (e.g. smith cemetery OR gravestone will return results for smith cemetery and smith gravestone). 7. Exactly What You Want - Google employs a number of algorithms to ensure accurate search results, including automatically considering searches for words that are common synonyms to be identical, or suggesting an alternate, more common spellings. A similar algorithm, called stemming, returns not only results with your keyword, but also with terms based on the keyword stem - such as powers, power and powered. Sometimes Google can be a little too helpful, however, and will return results for a synonym or word that you may not want. In these cases, use quotation marks around your search term to ensure that it is used exactly as you typed it (e.g. power surname genealogy) 8. Force Additional Synonyms - Although Google search automatically displays results for certain synonyms, the tilde symbol (~) will force Google to show additional synonyms (and related words) for your query. For example, a search for schellenberger ~vital records leads Google to return results including vital records, birth records, marriage records, and more. Similarly, ~obituaries will also include obits, death notices, newspaper obituaries, funeral, etc. Even a search for schellenberger ~genealogy will yield different search results than schellenberger genealogy. Search terms (including synonyms) are bolded in Google search results, so you can easily see what terms were found on each page. 9. Fill in the Blanks - Including an *, or wildcard, in your search query tells Google to treat the star as a placeholder for any unknown term(s) and then find the best matches. Use the wildcard (*) operator to end a question or phrase such as ​william crisp was born in * or as a proximity search to find terms located within two words of each other such as david * norton (good for middle names and initials). Note that the * operator works only on whole words, not parts of words. You cant, for example, search for owen* in Google to return results for Owen and Owens. 10. Use Googles Advanced Search Form - If the search options above are more than you want to know, try using Googles Advanced Search Form which simplifies most of the search options previously mentioned, such as using search phrases, as well as removing words you dont want included in your search results. Search Suggested Alternate Spellings Google has become one smart cookie and now suggests alternate spellings for search terms which appear to be misspelled. The search engines self-learning algorithm automatically detects misspellings and suggests corrections based on the most popular spelling of the word. You can get a basic idea of how it works by typing in geneology as a search term. While Google will return search results for pages on geneology, it will also ask you Did you mean genealogy? Click on the suggested alternate spelling for a whole new list of sites to browse! This feature comes in particularly handy when searching for cities and towns for which you arent sure of the correct spelling. Type in Bremehaven and Google will ask you if you meant Bremerhaven. Or type in Napels Italy, and Google will ask you if you meant Naples Italy. Watch out, however! Sometimes Google chooses to display the search results for the alternate spelling and youll need to select the correct spelling to find what you are really looki ng for. Bring Back Sites From the Dead How many times have you found what looks to be a very promising Web site, only to get a File Not Found error when clicking on the link? Genealogical Web sites seem to come and go every day as webmasters change file names, switch ISPs, or just decide to remove the site because they can no longer afford to maintain it. This doesnt mean the information is always gone forever, however. Hit the Back button and look for a link to a cached copy at the end of the Google description and page URL. Clicking on the cached link should bring up a copy of the page as it appeared at the time that Google indexed that page, with your search terms highlighted in yellow. You can also return Googles cached copy of a page, by preceding the pages URL with cache:. If you follow the URL with a space separated list of search words, they will be highlighted on the returned page. For example:  cache:genealogy.about.com surname  will return the cached version of this sites homepage with the term surname high lighted in yellow. Find Related Sites Found a site that you really like and want more? GoogleScout can help you find sites with similar content. Hit the Back button to return to your Google search results page and then click on the  Similar Pages  link. This will take you to a new page of search results with links to pages which contain similar content. The more specialized pages (such as a page for a specific surname) may not turn up many relevant results, but if you are researching a particular topic (i.e. adoption or immigration), GoogleScout can help you find a large number of resources very quickly, without having to worry about selecting the right keywords. You can also access this feature directly by using the related command with the URL of the site that you like (  related:genealogy.about.com). Follow the Trail Once youve found a valuable site, chances are that some of the sites which link to it may also be beneficial to you. Use the  link  command along with a URL to find pages which contain links pointing to that URL. Enter  link:familysearch.org  and youll find about 3,340 pages which link to the homepage of familysearch.org. You can also use this technique to find out who, if anyone, has linked to your personal genealogy site. Search Within a Site While many major sites have search boxes, this isnt always true of smaller, personal genealogy sites. Google comes to the rescue again, however, by allowing you to restrict search results to a specific site. Just enter your search term followed by the  site  command and the main URL for the site you wish to search in the Google search box on the main Google page. For example,  military site:www.familytreemagazine.com  pulls up 1600 pages with the search term  military  on the Family Tree Magazine Web site. This trick is especially useful for quickly finding surname information on genealogy sites without indexes or search capabilities. Cover Your Bases When you really want to make sure you havent missed a good genealogy site, enter  allinurl:genealogy  to return a list of sites with  genealogy  as part of their URL (can you believe that Google found more than 10 million?). As you can tell from this example, this is a better option to use for more focused searches, such as surnames or locality searches. You can combine multiple search terms, or use other operators such as OR to help focus your search (i.e.  allinurl:genealogy france  OR  french). A similar command is also available to search for terms contained within a title (i.e.  allintitle:genealogy france  OR  french). Find People, Maps and More If youre searching for U.S. information, Google can do so much more than just search Web pages. The lookup information they provide through their search box has been expanded to include street maps, street addresses, and phone numbers. Enter a first and last name, city, and state to find a phone number. You can also do a reverse lookup by entering a phone number to find a street address. To use Google to find street maps, just enter a street address, city, and state (i.e.  8601 Adelphi Road College Park MD), in the Google search box. You can also find business listings by entering the name of a business and its location or zip code (i.e.  tgn.com utah). Pictures From the Past Googles image search feature makes it easy to locate photos on the Web. Just click on the Images tab on Googles home page and type in a keyword or two to view a results page full of image thumbnails. To find photos of specific people try putting their first and last names within quotes (i.e.  laura ingalls wilder). If youve got a bit more time or a more unusual surname, then just entering the surname should be enough. This feature is also a great way to find photos of old buildings, tombstones, and even your ancestors hometown. Because Google doesnt crawl for images as often as it does for Web pages, you may find many pages/images have moved. If the page doesnt come up when you click on the thumbnail, then you may be able to find it by copying the URL from below the feature, pasting it into the Google search box, and using the cache feature. Glancing Through Google Groups If youve got a bit of time on your hands, then check out the Google Groups search tab available from the Google homepage. Find info on your surname, or learn from the questions of others by searching through an archive of over 700 million Usenet newsgroup messages going back as far as 1981. If youve got even more time on your hands, then check out this  historical Usenet timeline  for a fascinating diversion. Narrow Your Search by File Type Typically when you search the Web for information, you expect to pull up traditional Web pages in the form of HTML files. Google offers results in a variety of different formats, however, including .PDF (Adobe Portable Document Format), .DOC (Microsoft Word), .PS (Adobe Postscript), and .XLS (Microsoft Excel). These files appear among your regular search results listings where you can either view them in their original format, or use the  View as HTML  link (good for when you dont have the application that is needed for that particular file type, or for when computer viruses are a concern). You can also use the filetype command to narrow your search to find documents in particular formats (i.e. filetype:xls genealogy forms). You arent likely to use this Google feature often, but I have used it to find genealogy brochures in PDF format and family group sheets and other genealogy forms in Microsoft Excel format. If youre someone like me who uses Google quite a bit, then you may want to consider downloading and using the Google Toolbar (requires Internet Explorer Version 5 or later and Microsoft Windows 95 or later). When the Google Toolbar is installed, it automatically appears along with the Internet Explorer toolbar and makes it easy to use Google to search from any Web site location, without returning to the Google home page to begin another search. A variety of buttons and a drop-down menu make it easy to perform all of the searches described in this article with just a click or two. Best wishes for a successful search!

Berlin Olympic Stadium essays

Berlin Olympic Stadium essays The Olympic Stadium was made in 1933 on Hitlers orders. Hitler wanted to impress the whole world and when in 1936 the Olympic Games came to Berlin, a new stadium was built. The Nazis abused the Games with lots of propaganda. The Olympic Stadium die Ausstellung shows the construction of the stadium and follows it until nowadays. It even shows projections and models for the future. With the support of the Emperor Wilhelm II, the first plans for the constructions of a German Stadium appeared in 1907. The official opening took place in 1913 as part of the celebration to mark Emperor Wilhelm II's jubilee. The stadium, with a capacity of 30.000 spectators, was intended to encourage the people in sporting activities and to promote the construction of further sports facilities. The architect Otto March (1845-1913) built it on the site of the Grunenwald Racecourse and it was named the Grunewald Stadium. Inside the Stadium March built a cycling track around the outside of the cinder track and placed a swimming pool on the north part. In 1925, the Imperial Committee for Physical Exercise considered the idea of modernising the German Stadium. A lot of improvements were made: the spectator capacity was increased from 30.000 to 80.000 and the sanitary facilities and changing room area were also extended considerably. When in 1931 Berlin was chosen to host the Summer Olympic Games of 1936, Werner March was commissioned to plan the redevelopment of the Stadium for the Games. His first designs showed a modern construction of reinforced concrete, which was, however, rejected by Adolf Hitler. It is said that because of this disagreement Hitler threatened to cancel the Olympic Games. Albert Speer, Hitler's favourite architect, would have designed the cladding overnight and thus saved the Games. Which Olympic Games The 11th Summer-Games ...

Convergence between GAAP and IFRS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Convergence between GAAP and IFRS - Assignment Example The US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles is the major accounting standard used in the United States (Walton 45-46). The International Financial Reporting Standard on the other hand is the accounting standard practiced in over 110 countries in the world. U.s. GAAP is mostly considered as a more rule based accounting system, while IFRS is mostly based on principles. It is therefore obvious that the IFRS and the U.S. GAAP do not agree on every issue (IASCF and IASB 80-101). This paper seeks to focus on the convergence between the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and the International Financial Reporting Standard. The International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) is an independent body in the private sector. It develops and approves International Accounting and Financial Reporting Standards. The International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) functions under the International Financial Reporting Foundation oversight. It was formed in 2001 in replacement of the International Accounting Standards Committee. International Financial Reporting Standard, under the constitution of International Financial Reporting Foundation, has a full responsibility for all technical issues of the financial reporting standards such as: preparation and issuing the interpretations of exposure drafts and International Financial Reporting Standards, full discretion in pursuing and developing technical agenda dependent on requirements of consultation with the public and trustees, the issuing and approval of interpretations by the International Financial Reporting Standards Interpretations Committee (IASB 19-21)). ... SEC registrants are however required generally in presenting expenses that are based on function such as administrative costs and cost of sales. The criteria of extraordinary items are also restricted to both the infrequent and unusual items. In terms of the criteria of the discontinued operations, these operations are for those components that are specifically disposed of or held for sale, given that there will be no involvement with the disposed component or significant cash flows (Shamrock 29-30). On the other hand, in classifying expenses in the IFRS, expenses may be presented based on either nature or function such as depreciation and salaries. Particular disclosures on the expenses’ nature must be included in the notes if function is selected. There is no criterion of extraordinary items in the IFRS as it is prohibited. In addition, the classification of discontinued operations in IFRS is for components that are disposed of or held for sale. These components are either o f a separate geographical area or a different business line (IASCF and IASB 105-110). The layout of the balance sheet in the U.S. GAAP is not generally provided in accordance to a specific layout, but the public companies follow the specified requirements in the S-X regulation. The presentation of debt that has been violated is presented as non-current in case lender agreement to waive right for repayment demand exists for more than a year prior to the issue of financial statements. In the U.S GAAP, the non-current and current classification of deferred tax liability and asset is based generally on the nature of related liability or asset. This is a requirement. The U.S GAAP has no requirement for a third balance sheet. On the

The Emerald Forest by John Boorman Movie Review

The Emerald Forest by John Boorman - Movie Review Example Apart from the difference in the authority structures of these two societies, their entire life styles and cultures are different. Western modern society is developed and advanced in terms of technology and uses machine guns and weapons to fight, aero planes to travel and other machines to cut off forests and clear the land for construction, whereas the invisible people do not have much use of technology as they use arrows and spears to fight and travel by walking long distances (â€Å"Proyect†). As wanadi says, â€Å"When I was a boy, the edges of the world was very far away, but it comes closer each year.† It means that western world is growing in technology and now travelling across the entire world to reach far off places have become easy and fast. However, as technology is enhancing it is destroying the natural environment more (â€Å"The Emerald Forest†). Air pollution from the aero planes, cars etc have increased resulting in various diseases affecting our respiratory systems when we inhale the oxygen present in the air. Also the modern guns and weapons have resulted in the increasing demolition of mankind who are killed in massacres. The machines used to clear off forests have destroyed the beauty of the world and the indigenous livelihood (â€Å"The Emerald Forest†). The natural resources are being depleted with the adoption of new technology. This is the reason that the people of the western world were called to be Termite as they cut down big trees and destroy the real world which is in forests (â€Å"The Emerald Forest†). The invisible people are loving, caring, innocent people who calls the forest as their world, who keeps to themselves, away from western society and just want... Both the traditional culture and the culture of the western American societies have their own good and bad points but in my view, the culture of the invisible people is far better than that of the westerners. The reason is that the invisible people were good hearted, loving humans who were satisfied with their lives and were happily living with their people in their world. Their culture satisfies all their humanly needs like physiological needs of food, water, sex etc, the safety needs by providing them shelter, resources to survive, health, their emotional needs by providing family, love, and by giving a sense of community in which people can depend upon each other in time of their need, their esteem needs i.e. their culture teaches them how to respect others and confidence and finally the highest level of human need that is self-actualization by providing them problem-solving capabilities and morality. The traditional culture promotes spirituality and the feeling of community which makes them selfless people who unlike the westerners do not tear apart nature and others feel for their own needs or motives. This view is further supported by Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud and Emile Durkheim who also views modern society as a misery in which people are unhappy and never fully satisfied. Even though they all have the same conclusion, they have different reasons for their views. According to Karl Marx, this misery results from capitalism which divides society into two major groups Bourgeoisie and Proletaria.

Educational performance Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Educational performance - Case Study Example Thus, there is a greater impact of the social class on the education of the children and the parents' attitudes towards the education of the children. In this case there are two main concepts given and these are known as resistance and conformity. These two concepts are the main ones in order to understand the attitudes of the parents towards the education of their children. There is a higher probability that the parents shall be resisting or conforming to the children acquitting the college degree. These parents need to ensure that there is an important role being played by education in the success of the children in future. It has also been seen that there are higher chances of the occupational success of the children who have the higher education. However, in this case Librarians of Institutes of Education (Great Britain), British Library (2000) observed that the acquiring of education is dependent on the social status of parents as the poor people are against the education and degree acquisition from the British universities. In this case a great deal of research has been done on the children as well as the British parents and it has been observed that there are many parents are not developed socially and they resist the education of the children at grade 1 level in the British schools. Because of this resistance there is a change in the concept of self and the desire to get the education. In this case, the main role is also played by the beliefs that are held by the parents. There are many parental differences that make a difference in the attitudes of the children towards the schooling and it is realized that the schooling has been realized that if the schooling is realized as a socializing agency. According to the concepts that have been given in this case, Cox, (2000) says that the education of a pupil is dependent on the educational potential that the pupil has and the pupil is in turn dependent on the social position of the pupil. There are some assessments of the parents that are related to the children and their education and the social status of the parents play important roles. Vermeulen and Perlmann (2000) say that the assessments of the British parents are related to social representations. The carrier systems of the social interpretations are included in the analysis of the social interpretations. There are some studies carried out that make sure that there is an inclusion of the educational experiences of the parents as if the education of the parent is higher than the expectations of the children from the children are higher. It has been seen that the social representation of the parents has been included in the educational opportunities. There are many theories that have been given in relation to these attitudes and Rogers (2005) has observed that if the parents are educated, they are nearer towards the education system and they realize the changes that are taking place in the education system as well as the needs that are needed in the children. In addition to this, they understand the importance of the education in the children

Life Is a Dream Essay Example for Free

Life Is a Dream Essay Historical background: Spain was united after the Moorish occupation (711-1400s). However, it also left Spain as a cultural powerhouse in Europe which was still largely medieval in 15th century. Spanish philosophers and scholars exerted strong influence and their craftsmen were well known across Europe. Ferdinand and Isabella united Spain and by 1492 expelled the Moors entirely form the country. They were determined to Christianize Spain and instituted the Inquisition to hunt down and punish heretics/in addition to the Moors tey expelled all the Jews from the country. Influences from both the Moors and Catholics are evident in the Spanish drama: Moorish heritage in the attitude towards women and honor; Catholic influence-religious faith and doctrine-God and church. Spain was the dominant world power for almost two centuries-1492 expansion and occupation of many lands in America, Africa parts of Europe-Portugal, Sicily, Netherlands. This gave the nation a sense of stability, confidence, energy-also evident in the theater. Religious drama-auto sacramentale- were extremely popular and performed regularly even after they had become obsolete in the rest of Europe. Professional troupes were organized for this purpose-best writers were hired to write them. They were produced on carts (carros) roughly 16 feet long and 36 feet tall-thus having two levels. Eventually they used 4 carros as a permanent stage-actors were reharsing for a long time and were presenting for the city council before the performance could get approved for the public. Autos were performed for 200 years until the decline in mid 1700s By the end of the 16th century-several dramatic geners appeared Comedia-3 act dramas or comedies. Cape and Sword-about lowly gentlemen and Cuerpo (Noise) about kings and mythological characters, saints-actions in remote places. Lope de Vega 1562-1635- One of the most famous and prolific playwrights-a nobleman, soldier, businessman, lover and finally a priest. He wrote over 1600 plays some-450 have survived. Often compared to Shakespeare, he did not have the depth and insight into human nature-he preferred to end plays with happy endings-looking at the positive side. Pedro Calderon de La Barca 1600-1681 Wrote about 200 plays of which a 100 survived. He wrote â€Å"Cape and Sword† comedies-love triangles that are happily resolved. He also wrote serious plays about jealousy and honor. Most famously he wrote a number of autos-his were the most popular and the form declined after his death. LIFE IS A DREAM 1636 A philosophical allegory about the human situation and the mystery of life. It is a tragi-comedy-has elements of both. All major characters suspended between different duties-promises and expectations of what is to be done. Clotaldo has a duty to kill anyone who sees Segismundo but also can not kill his own daughter—as his duty is to protect her. Sgismundo kills his helpers the rebels as he has a duty to the kingdom. As in a classical comedy everyone gets married at the end but the couples are strange or unexpected-Segismundo marries Estrella instead of Rosaura-she marries Astolfo as he has ruined her honor. Analogies Dreams to theater as theater to life Dreams to life as life to afterlife Basilio is rebuked in the play as he wants to find out his fate-only God knows your fate. Women were allowed on stage from the end of the 16th century. Cross-dressing was forbidden so Rosaura appears as a half-monster-half-male, half female clothing.

Beginners Guide To Orchids

Beginners Guide To Orchids Orchid is one of the most fascinating, beautiful and peculiar variety among the flowering plants. They have always been considered difficult to grow. But given the right climatic and cultural conditions, they can thrive anywhere and will flower regularly. These plants belongs to the Orchidacae family, with all the difference in size, shape, color, scent or lack of it. They are the most rapidly changing group of plants on earth with over 880 genera and 28,000 species. Understanding Orchids Orchids have been considered a plant difficult to grow because of lack of knowledge about these fascinating plants. Taking a closer look at the plant will help us understand it better and take away our hesitation to nurture them in our gardens. Basic Characteristics: Orchids are easily distinguished from other plants, as they share some very evident apomorphies. Among these, bilaterally symmetric (zygomorphic), many resupinate, one petal (labellum) is always highly modified, stamens and carpels are fused, and the seeds are extremely small. Orchids belong to the most diverse family of plants known to man. There are over 880 genera, 28,000 species and well over 300,000 registered cultivars currently documented. These numbers only begin to tell the true story behind the evolutionary success of modern day orchids. Orchids are the most rapidly (genetically) changing group of plants on earth and more new species have been discovered over the last few thousand years than any other plant group known. Orchids produce seed pods with literally hundreds of thousands of seed that are released and scattered by the wind. Orchid seeds must establish a symbiotic relationship with a special fungus to survive its first year of life. The fungi gathers water and minerals for itself and the seedling, and the seedling shares its sugars from photosynthesis with the fungus. Only one or two orchid seeds will ever germinate and survive on that perfect crevice or depression that is both moist and has the fungus present. Even then, its chances to survive in the wild long enough to bloom are slim. Orchid Stem and Roots: All orchids are perennial herbs and lack any permanent woody structure. Orchids can grow according to two patterns: Monopodial and Sympodial. Monopodial orchids have a central stem which grows continuously from the tip. They have no pseudobulbs, but produce new growth from the crown of the plant. Flowers are produced from the stem between the leaves, usually alternately from side to side. Monopodial orchids often produce copious aerial roots along their stems. The aerial roots have green chlorophyll underneath the grey root coverings, which act as additional photosynthetic organs. These aerial roots attach themselves to any surface they meet, thus providing support to the plant. In the older parts of the roots, a modified spongy epidermis called velamen has the function to absorb humidity. It is made of dead cells and can have a silvery-grey, white or brown appearance. In some orchids the velamen includes spongy and fibrous bodies near the passage cells. These structures are named tilosomes. Sympodial orchids possess a rhizome which sends out a shoot. This develops into a stem and leaves and eventually produces flowers. In time, from the base of this growth, a new shoot develops and so on in a continuous cycle. The buds are often, though not always, protected by a sheath. Sympodial growth is more common among orchids. Most of these orchids have pseudobulbs which function as storage reservoirs for food and water. The plant will hold pseudobulbs vertically and send out new growth horizontally between the pseudobulbs. They function very much like rhizomes on terrestrial plants, although they are part of the plant rather than a root. The growth begins at the base of the pseudobulb and is called a lead. Both the shoot and roots will grow from this lead. Many times more than one growth at a time will be present. Leaves can last for several years and provide nourishment to the plant until they turn brown and die. Even without a leaf, the pseudobulb will continue to support the plant and provide nourishment for growth and flowering. Some sympodial terrestrials, such as Orchis and Ophrys, have two subterranean tuberous roots. One is used as a food reserve for wintry periods, and provides for the development of the other one, from which visible growth develops. In warm and humid climates, many terrestrial orchids do not need pseudobulbs. With ageing, the pseudobulb sheds its leaves and becomes dormant. At this stage it is often called a backbulb. A pseudobulb then takes over, exploiting the last reserves accumulated in the backbulb, which eventually dies off too. A pseudobulb typically lives for about five years. Comparison of Sympodial and Monopodial Orchid Growth Pattern Orchid Leaves: Like most monocots, orchids generally have simple leaves with parallel veins, although some Vanilloideae have a reticulate venation. Leaves may be ovate, lanceolate, or orbiculate, and very variable in size. Their characteristics are often diagnostic. They are normally alternate on the stem, often plicate, and have no stipules. Orchid leaves often have siliceous bodies called stegmata in the vascular bundle sheaths (not present in the Orchidoideae) and are fibrous. The structure of the leaves corresponds to the specific habitat of the plant. Species that typically bask in sunlight, or grow on sites which can be occasionally very dry, have thick, leathery leaves and the laminas are covered by a waxy cuticle to retain their necessary water supply. Shade species, on the other hand, have long, thin leaves. The leaves of most orchids are perennial, that is they live for several years, while others, especially those with plicate leaves, shed them annually and develop new leaves together with new pseudobulbs, as in Catasetum. The leaves of some orchids are considered ornamental. The leaves of the Macodes sanderiana, a semiterrestrial or lithophyte, show a sparkling silver and gold veining on a light green background. The cordate leaves of Psychopsiella limminghei are light brownish green with maroon-puce markings, created by flower pigments. The attractive mottle of the leaves of Ladys Slippers from tropical and subtropical Asia, (Paphiopedilum) is caused by uneven distribution of chlorophyll. Also Phalaenopsis schilleriana is a pastel pink orchid with leaves spotted dark green and light green. The Jewel Orchid (Ludisia discolor) is grown more for its colorful leaves than its fairly inconspicuous white flowers. Some orchids, as Dendrophylax lindenii (Ghost Orchid), Aphyllorchis and Taeniophyllum depend on their green roots for photosynthesis and lack normally developed leaves, as do all of the heterotrophic species. Orchid Flowers: Orchids are well known for the many structural variations in their flowers. Some orchids have single flowers but most have a racemose inflorescence, sometimes with a large number of flowers. The flowering stem can be basal, that is produced from the base of the tuber, like in Cymbidium, apical, meaning it grows from the apex of the main stem, like in Cattleya, or axillary, from the leaf axil, as in Vanda. As an apomorphy of the clade, orchid flowers are primitively zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical), although in some genera like Mormodes, Ludisia, Macodes this kind of symmetry may be difficult to notice. The orchid flower, like most flowers of monocots, has two whorls of sterile elements. The outer whorl has three sepals and the inner whorl has three petals. The sepals are usually very similar to the petals (and thus called tepals), but may be completely distinct. The upper medial petal, called the labellum or lip, is always modified and enlarged. The inferior ovary or the pedicel usually rotates 180 degrees, so that the labellum, goes on the lower part of the flower, thus becoming suitable to form a platform for pollinators. This characteristic, called resupination occurs primitively in the family and is considered apomorphic (the torsion of the ovary is very evident from the picture). Some orchids have secondarily lost this resupination, e. g. Zygopetalum and Epidendrum secundum. The normal form of the sepals can be found in Cattleya, where they form a triangle. In Paphiopedilum (Venus slippers) the lower two sepals are fused together into a synsepal, while the lip has taken the form of a slipper. In Masdevallia all the sepals are fused. Orchid flowers with abnormal numbers of petals or lips are called peloric. Peloria is a genetic trait, but its expression is environmentally influenced and may appear random. Longitudinal section of a flower of Vanilla planifoliaOrchid flowers primitively had three stamens, but this situation is now limited to the genus Neuwiedia. Apostasia and the Cypripedioideae have two stamens, the central one being sterile and reduced to a staminode. All of the other orchids, the clade called Monandria, retain only the central stamen, the others being reduced to staminodes. The filaments of the stamens are always adnate (fused) to the style to form cylindrical structure called the gynostemium or column. In the primitive Apostasioideae this fusion is only partial, in the Vanilloideae it is more deep, while in Orchidoideae and Epidendroideae it is total. The stigma is very asymmetrical as all of its lobes are bent towards the centre of the flower and lay on the bottom of the column. Pollen is released as single grains, like in most other plants, in the Apostasioideae, Cypripedioideae and Vanilloideae. In the other subfamilies, that comprise the great majority of orchids, the anther, carries and two pollinia. A pollinium is a waxy mass of pollen grains held together by the glue-like alkaloid viscin, containing both cellulosic stands and mucopolysaccharides. Each pollinium is connected to a filament which can take the form of a caudicle, like in Dactylorhiza or Habenaria or a stipe, like in Vanda. Caudicles or stipes hold the pollinia to the viscidium, a sticky pad which sticks the pollinia to the body of pollinators. At the upper edge of the stigma of single-anthered orchids, in front of the anther cap, there is the rostellum, a slender extension involved in the complex pollination mechanism. As aforementioned, the ovary is always inferior (located behind the flower). It is three-carpelate and one or, more rarely, three-partitioned, with parietal placentation (axile in the Apostasioideae). Orchid Fruits and Seeds: The ovary typically develops into a capsule that is dehiscent by 3 or 6 longitudinal slits, while remaining closed at both ends. The ripening of a capsule can take 2 to 18 months. The seeds are generally almost microscopic and very numerous, in some species over a million per capsule. After ripening they blow off like dust particles or spores. They lack endosperm and must enter symbiotic relationship with various mycorrhizal basidiomyceteous fungi that provide them the necessary nutrients to germinate, so that all orchid species are mycoheterotrophic during germination and reliant upon fungi to complete their lifecycle. As the chance for a seed to meet a fitting fungus is very small, only a minute fraction of all the seeds released grow into an adult plant. In cultivation, germination typically takes weeks, while there is a report of one paphiopedilum that took fifteen years. The main component for the sowing of orchids in artificial conditions is the agar agar. The substance is put together with some type of carbohydrate which provides qualitative organic feed such as banana, pineapple, peach or even tomato puree or coconut milk. After the cooking of the agar agar, the mix is poured into test tubes or jars where the substance begins to jelly. The seeds have to be put in the dish above boiling water, in the steam because that secures sterile conditions. The test tubes are put diagonally after that. Reproduction: Orchids have developed highly specialized pollination systems and thus the chances of being pollinated are often scarce. This is why orchid flowers usually remain receptive for very long periods and why most orchids deliver pollen in a single mass; each time pollination succeeds thousands of ovules can be fertilized. Pollinators are often visually attracted by the shape and colours of the labellum. The flowers may produce attractive odours. Although absent in most species, nectar may be produced in a spur of the labellum, on the point of the sepals or in the septa of the ovary, the most typical position amongst the Asparagales. In orchids that produce pollinia, pollination happens as some variant of the following. When the pollinator enters into the flower, it touches a viscidium, which promptly sticks to its body, generally on the head or abdomen. While leaving the flower, it pulls the pollinium out of the anther, as it is connected to the viscidium by the caudicle or stipe. The caudicle then bends and the pollinium is moved forwards and downwards. When the pollinator enters another flower of the same species, the pollinium has taken such position that it will stick to the stigma of the second flower, just below the rostellum, pollinating it. The possessors of orchids may be able to reproduce the process with a pencil, small paintbrush, or other similar device. Some orchids mainly or totally rely on self-pollination, especially in colder regions where pollinators are particularly rare. The caudicles may dry up if the flower hasnt been visited by any pollinator and the pollina then fall directly on the stigma. Otherwise the anther may rotate and then enter the stigma cavity of the flower. The labellum of the Cypripedioideae is poke-shaped and has the function to trap visiting insects. The only exit leads to the anthers that deposit pollen on the visitor. In some extremely specialized orchids, like the Eurasian genus Ophrys, the labellum is adapted to have a colour, shape and odour which attracts male insects via mimicry of a receptive female. Pollination happens as the insect attempts to mate with flowers. Many neotropical orchids are pollinated by male orchid bees, which visit the flowers to gather volatile chemicals they require to synthesize pheromonal attractants. Each type of orchid places the pollinia on a different body part of a different species of bee, so as to enforce proper cross-pollination. After pollination the sepals and petals fade and wilt, but they usually remain attached to the ovary. Gallery of Common Orchids There are over 25,000 types of orchids and, in fact the Orchidaceae family is the most numerous in the plant world. These beautiful plants have been around for over 100 million years and plants can range from microscopic to reaching several feet in height. The flowers have a distinctive look with 3 inner petals surrounded by 3 outer petals and a cupped petal that is distinct from the others. Some orchids even resemble other creatures like bees, moths and lizards. Although we think of orchids as a tropical flower they can actually grow in almost any climate. They can grow on the ground or on trees and even rocks. Orchids are classified depending on their water requirements. Paphiopedilum, Cymbidium and Odontoglossum need a moist environment all year long. Cattelya, Oncidium and Dendrobium only need water when they are actively growing and the vanda Ascocend doesnt really need water at all. Below you will find pictures of some of the commonly found orchids. It is easy to identify them by their flowers. Aceras antropophorum Anacamptis pyramidalis Barlia robertiana Cephalanthera longifolia Cephalanthera rubra Coeloglossum viride Cypripedium calceolus Dactylorhiza elata subsp. sesquipedalis Cephalanthera damasonium Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. meyeri Corallorhiza trifida Dactylorhiza sambucina subsp. insularis Epipactis atrorubens Epipactis helleborine subsp. muelleri Epipactis palustris Goodyera repens Gymnadenia conopsea Himantoglossum hircinum Limodorum abortivum Neottia nidus-avis Listera ovata Neotinea maculata Nigritella nigra subsp. nigra Ophrys apifera subsp. apifera Ophrys insectifera subsp. insectifera Ophrys catalaunica Ophrys fusca Ophrys omegaifera subsp. dyris Ophrys lutea subsp. lutea Ophrys scolopax subsp. apiiformis Ophrys speculum Ophrys scolopax subsp. scolopax Ophrys sphegodes subsp. litigiosa Ophrys sphegodes subsp. sphegodes Ophrys tenthredinifera Orchis conica Orchis coriophora subsp. fragans Orchis coriophora subsp. martrinii Orchis laxiflora subsp. laxiflora Orchis mascula subsp. mascula Orchis morio subsp. champagneuxii Orchis militaris Ophrys sphegodes subsp. passionis Orchis coriophora subsp. coriophora Orchis ustulata Orchis provincialis subsp. provincialis Serapias lingua Orchis simia Platanthera bifolia Platanthera chlorantha Pseudorchis albida Spiranthes spiralis Serapias vomeracea Growing Orchids Tips for Beginners Orchids have always been considered difficult to grow. Once the cultural needs of these fascinating plants are understood, growing orchids is relatively simple, and it becomes a deeply satisfying activity. If given the right climatic and cultural conditions, they can thrive anywhere and will flower regularly. Some species of orchids may flower two or three times a year and some flower annually. The following is a brief guideline of the role of essential and beneficial mineral nutrients that are crucial for growth. Eliminate any one of these elements, and plants will display abnormalities of growth, deficiency symptoms, or may not reproduce normally. Macronutrient Nitrogen is a major component of proteins, hormones, chlorophyll, vitamins and enzymes essential for plant life. Nitrogen metabolism is a major factor in stem and leaf growth (vegetative growth). Too much can delay flowering and fruiting. Deficiencies can reduce yields, cause yellowing of the leaves and stunt growth. Phosphorus is necessary for seed germination, photosynthesis, protein formation and almost all aspects of growth and metabolism in plants. It is essential for flower and fruit formation. Tropical orchids are no more difficult to grow than other plants, but because most of them are epiphytes (tree dwelling plants) their culture is different from that of other types of plants. British orchid growers failed in the early 1800à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²s when they attempted to grow tropical orchids under dark, hot, and steamy conditions. They succeeded only when they realized that most tropical orchids grew at higher, cooler elevations and in the upper branches of trees where they got considerable light and perfect drainage. Lighting In the greenhouse, most orchids require some shading to prevent the leaves from overheating. In the home, however, orchids need the maximum light available. Placing them outside under the shade of tall trees during the summer months is very beneficial. Do not place them in full sun, however, or the leaves will burn. Also, do not place the plants on the ground, for insects and slugs (snails) can enter the pots and damage the plants. Pot hangers can be used to suspend the plants from tree branches, chains, strong trees, or other structures. Temperature In the home, placing the orchids in a room with relatively cool temperatures will help guard against dehydration. Most orchids are actually most happy at temperatures below the comfort level of humans, especially at night. Orchid greenhouses are usually maintained at 55-65 degrees at night. Soil Potting mixes for tropical orchids are loose mixtures of organic material such as fir bark (not pine bark), tree fern, osumda fiber, with small amounts of peat, perlite, cork, or charcoal added. The object is to have a mix that drains well, but holds some moisture. Most commercial orchid growers supply ready-to-use orchid mixes in small quantities. Orchids usually need repotting only once every two to three years. Moisture In watering orchids, it is best to soak the potting mix thoroughly and wait until the surface is relatively dry before watering again. Most orchids in fir bark based mixes will need watering no more than once every 5 to 7 days. Fertilizer All plants can be fertilized safely with a water-soluble urea free fertilizer such as Growmore 20-10-20 about once a month. Some orchid growers prefer to mix water-soluble fertilizers weaker than indicated on the package instructions and to use them every second or third watering. Always water before fertilizing and remember that it is best to under-fertilize rather than to over-fertilize. With the lower light and drier conditions in the home, orchids cannot use as much fertilizer as they can use in the greenhouse. Some growers like to increase the humidity around their orchids in the home by using humidity trays or trays of wet gravel around or under the plants. Pots should not touch the surface of the water. Water One of the big mistakes that people make is over watering their orchids. People assume that since they are tropical plants they need a lot of water and this is not necessarily the case. While they do appreciate the humid environment, over watering can kill them. The amount of watering necessary depends on the temperature any type of orchid a general rule of thumb is to water once a week. You may want to water more frequently in the summer and a little bit less in the winter. The Cymbidium, Miltonia, Odontoglossum and Paphiopedilum varieties like to be kept with the soil a bit moist even between wanterings while the Ascocenda, Vanda and Phalaenopsis prefer to have their soil become dry in between. Which Orchid Plants Are Easy to Grow? We have seen what orchids are and how to take care of them. The obvious question is which of these orchids can I grow at home, and which ones are easy to grow. As a novice to the world of orchids, you only need to concern yourself with the name of the genus. Most plants within the same genus will require similar growing conditions, so if you want to keep things simple, dont worry about the species or variety at this point. Orchid Genera for the Novice Novice orchid growers should start with members of the following genera, since these are relatively easy to grow orchids: Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilum, Dendrobium, and Oncidium. Phalaenopsis Orchids Phalaenopsis, or Moth Orchids, are one of the easiest orchids for beginners to grow, as well as one that is commonly found in stores. Members of this genus have multiple large, showy flowers on each spike; flowers that may remain open for six weeks or longer. Often when a spike is cut after its blooms are gone, a secondary spike will develop on the old stalk below the original flower head, thus extending the blooming season. Phalaenopsis is a genus of approximately 60 species of orchids. The abbreviation in the horticultural trade is Phal. Phalaenopsis shows a monopodial growth habit. An erect growing rhizome produces from the top one or two alternate, thick and fleshy, elliptical leaves a year. The older, basal leaves drop off at the same rate. The plant retains in this way four to five leaves. If very healthy, they can have up to ten or more leaves. They have no pseudobulbs. The raceme appears from the stem between the leaves. They bloom in their full glory for several weeks. If kept in the home, they usually last two to three months, which is considered quite a long time. Some Phalaenopsis species in Malaysia are known to use subtle weather cues to coordinate mass flowering. Caring For Phalaenopsis: In nature, they are typically fond of warm temperatures (20 to 35  °C), but are adaptable to conditions more comfortable for human habitation in temperate zones (15 to 30  °C). At temperatures below 18  °C watering should be reduced to avoid the risk of root rot. Phalaenopsis requires high humidity (60-70%) and low light of 12,000 to 20,000 lux. Flowering is triggered by a night-time drop in temperature of around 5 to 6 degrees over 2 to 4 consecutive weeks, usually in the fall. Phalaenopsis prefer to be potted in medium fir bark. They can also be potted in sphagnum moss or mounted. Keep them in pots with a lot of drainage. Keep the potting media fairly moist but not wet. Water when the potting media is just approaching dryness, but still a bit moist and never allow the potting media to become bone dry. Do not let water flow into the center of the plant or it can potentially die from crown rot. One of the most numerous blunders that new growers make is to rot the roots. Overwatering and poor drainage cause the roots to deteriorate, therefore killing the plant. Being careful to water when you feel the soil is dry through and through is the safest thing to do. Light is quite vital to the well-being of the phalaenopsis orchid. Keep it in indirect light near a southern window. Be sure the sun does not directly reach the leaves, which will cause burning and brown marks. If the leaf feels hot to the touch, move it away immediately. On the other hand, phalaenopsis grown in poor dark areas tend to grow floppy dark green leaves and rarely flower. Phalaenopsis roots are quite thick, and the green point at the ends signifies that the root is actively growing. It is okay for them to climb out of the pots. Plant may be fertilized with a 1/4 diluted strength balanced fertilizer three times out of four waterings. The flower spikes appear from the pockets near the base of each leaf. The first sign is a light green mitten-like object that protrudes from the leaf tissue. In about three months, the spike enlongates until it begins to swell fat buds. The buds will thus bloom. Usually you can tell what color the phalaenopsis is by looking at the bud color. After the flowers fade, some people prefer to cut the spike above the highest node (section). This may produce another flower spike or more rarely a keiki (a baby orchid plant that can be planted). Paphiopedilum Orchids Paphiopedilum is a genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) of approximately 91 species. Paphiopedilum, the so-called Venus Slipper orchid, is easily recognizable. Most have a single flower per stalk, but there are varieties with multiple flowers. They are relatively easy to coax into bloom if you provide the plant with the right temperature range: mottled leaves need warmer conditions than do solid green leaves. Paphiopedilum (sometimes colloquially referred to as Paphs) are considered highly collectible by growers due to the curious and unusual form of their flowers. Most naturally grow in humus layers as semi-terrestrials on the forest floor, in rocky outcroppings or in trees. Caring For Paphs: Most paphs are intermediate growers and do well in medium to medium-high light. Most paphs should be kept evenly moist year-round. There are exceptions to these general guidelines, especially among the Chinese paphs some of which encounter winter temperatures near freezing, so it is important to research the cultural needs of a specific paph, especially if growing species. All paphs need a fresh environment and benefit from good air circulation and frequent repotting. The rule of thumb for paphs is to repot them every year, usually after flowering or in the spring so they can establish themselves before hot weather sets in. Paphs benefit from high humidity. Dendrobium Orchids Dendrobium, abbreviated as Den in horticultural trade, is a large genus of tropical orchids that consists of about 1200 species. Dendrobium inflorescences are loaded with blossoms and are also long lasting. These plants can often be split when mature, since small additional offset plantlets are frequently produced. When an offset has produced several aerial roots, it can be cut from the parent plant and will frequently flower after one year of growth. The species are either epiphytic, growing on a tree, or occasionally lithophytic, growing over a rock. They have adapted to a wide variety of habitats, from the high altitudes in the Himalayan mountains to lowland tropical forests and even to the dry climate of the Australian desert. The orchids in this genus often develop pseudobulbs, which unite into a long reedlike stem with a typical length of more than 30 cm. Some appear densely covered with short white hairs. The short, ovate leaves grow alternately over the whole length of the stems. The axillary flower buds develop into short flower stalks with one or two terminal flowers. The orchids grow quickly throughout summer, but take a long rest during winter. In the spring, new shoots are formed from the base of the main plant and the dormant buds come back into action. The blooming flowers are found on pseudobulbs formed in the previous year. Caring For Dendrobium: Care depends on specific species. Plants generally require a reduction of watering or with holding of water during the winter due to dormancy period. Plants grow in a variety of temperature ranges and lighting ranges which is dependent on the species. Plants can usually be mounted. Oncidium Orchids Oncidiums, commonly referred to as the dancing girls orchid, are also easy to grow. Abbreviated as Onc in horticultural trade, Oncidium is a genus that contains about 330 species of orchids from the subfamily Epidendroideae of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). Since this is a large genus with different species originating in a wide variety of climates, it is helpful to know the growing requirements of the particular species you select. Still, these hardy plants generally flower well even under adverse growing conditions. The flowers of the Oncidium genus come in shades of yellow, red, white and pink. The petals are often ruffled on the edges, as is the lip. The lip is enormous, partially blocking the small petals and sepals. Caring For Oncidium: Oncs grow in cool to warm conditions with moderate to bright light. Water the plant right before the potting mix starts to dry. Plants should be potted in a well drain medium such as medium fir bark. Tips for Choosing a Healthy Orchid Plant Orchids are found in a variety of climates, so choose an orchid that closely matches the growing conditions of your environment. This means assessing your light sources, available space, temperature range, and humidity. Armed with this information, do a bit of research to find out which orchid plants match your environment. These will be the easiest types of orchid plants to grow and your success will encourage you to develop more skil