176 W. A. VENDRAME AND A. A. KHODDAMZADEH
and consequently affordable prices to customers, advanced techniques
of production, and the interest by growers and customers in new
and improved orchid hybrids. In addition to their obvious ornamental
appeal, some orchids have medicinal properties, for example, the stems
ofDendrobium officinalethat have been used in a traditional Chinese
medicine (Su and Yang 2006). Arditti (1992) includes a sample list of
over 50 orchid species used for medicinal purposes. Some orchids are
used as food. The tubers ofCynorchisandEulophiaare consumed in
Africa, flowers ofStanhopea tigrinaare used in tortillas in Mexico,
tubers of severalOrchisspecies are consumed as salep, a meal starch
made into beverage (Arditti 1992).Vanilla planifolia is the source
of the popular spice vanilla (Chugh et al. 2009), although Vanilla
pomponaandVanilla tahitensisare also used for vanilla extraction
(Arditti 1992). Several species belonging to the generaAnoectochilus,
Goodyera, Ludisia, and Macodes termed jewel orchids are grown
especially for their beautiful foliage.
In 1957, Shoemaker stated that orchid growing had not been fully
transformed from a diversion to an industry. Today orchid growing is
more than just an industry; it is an international business (Griesbach
2002). Orchids are marketed both as cut flowers and as potted plants.
The largest exporters of potted orchids are Thailand, Japan, Malaysia,
Taiwan, United Kingdom, Italy, Brazil, and New Zealand, while the
largest importer of potted orchids is the United States. Orchids such
asPhalaenopsis, Oncidium, Cymbidium,andDendrobiumcontributed
significantly to the economy of Asian countries in the 1990s (Hew 1994;
Laws 1995). More recently orchids have been traded universally and
production has increased 12–18% every year since 2000, with large
demand for potted orchids in Japan, Europe, and the United States
(Chen and Chen 2011).
In 2004, orchids were ranked as the second potted floriculture crop
in the United States with wholesale value estimated at $128 million
(USDA 2005). In 2005, an estimated 18 million potted orchids with
a total wholesale value of US$ 144 million were sold in the United
States (USDA 2006). By 2006, orchids represented 8% of the global
floriculture market (Martin and Madassery 2006). In 2011, total whole-
sale of potted orchids in the United States jumped to $191 million, up
11% from 2010 (USDA 2012). By 2014, they ranked first among potted
floriculture crop in the country with wholesale value of $266 million
for the 15 Program States (USDA 2014). Cultivated orchids represent
one of the most significant nursery industries worldwide with a multi-
billion dollar market (Teixeira da Silva 2013). To date,Phalaenopsis