The most beautiful flower represents us!

bloguerouniversal

· 06 Jan 2022

The most beautiful flower represents us!

The orchid, or Flor de Mayo, is the national flower of our country. Together with Araguaney and Turpial they make up the natural symbols of Venezuela.

This flower, which represents femininity and beauty, has more than 1,500 species throughout the country, making it one of the countries with the widest number of varieties known.

Usually, orchids have three sepals, two petals and a labellum. The fruit is a capsule that contains many small seeds of the flower inside, which allows it to spread quickly in a territory.

When flowering, it is striking that it rotates 180 degrees before opening to fully expose the labellum to pollinators.

Its scientific name, Cattleya mossiae, was named by the botanist John Lindley in honor of William Cattley, who in 1818 grew the first bulbs of this plant in England, through species sent from Brazil.

Here are some interesting facts that you may not know about this beautiful flower:

Why is it called Flor de Mayo?

This popular name emerged in the 19th century, when the people used it to adorn the “Cruz de Mayo”.

Where does it originate?

The Venezuelan orchid is native to the Cordillera de la Costa, however, it is currently obtained in other areas of the country.

Its favorite habitat is Waraira Repano (better known as Cerro El Ávila), north of the city of Caracas.

When was it declared a national flower?

The orchid was declared a national flower of Venezuela on May 23, 1951 by decree of the then Chairman of the Governing Board, Germán Suárez Flamerich.

The selection process was led by the Ministers of Education and Agriculture and Breeding, Augusto Mijares and Amenodoro Rangel, through a commission responsible for evaluating the following aspects:

- To be of the only birth in the country.
- Have a great duration.
- To be the best known in the country.
- To be recognized in most of the country of origin and also abroad.
- After days of searching, several species met the requirements, including: Cattleya mossiae, Speciosissima and Percivaliana.

Finally, the National Government decided to name the orchid as the national flower, based on the above-mentioned aspects.

Why can orchid be enjoyed in so many places?

The orchid family turns out to be the most dominant and abundant of the Venezuelan flora. It has 1,506 species identified in the country, according to the most recent inventory carried out by the National Herbarium.

When does it bloom?

Between the months of April and May. The plant produces a flower 20 to 35 centimetres long, with a single leaf and purple, lilac and pink petals.

#venezuela #orchid #nationalflowerofvenezuela