orchid family

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun A large family of epiphytic or terrestrial perennial plants, the Orchidaceae, found chiefly in the tropics and subtropics and characterized by bilaterally symmetrical, showy flowers often highly specialized to attract pollinators, and minute seeds.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun enormous cosmopolitan family of perennial terrestrial or epiphytic plants with fleshy tubers or rootstocks and unusual flowers