aerides

[Lat. aër; Gr. ἀήρ (aer) = the air.] [AIR-PLANTS.] A genus of plants belonging to the order Orchid aceæ, or Orchids. It derives its name from the fact that the species appear to derive their principal nourishment from the air, as they can exist for weeks in their native clime, and send forth blo om after blo om while hung up in a room quite away from the vegetable soil. Their flowers are beautiful and finely fragrant. The A. odoratum is sometimes kept in greenhouses in Britain, but rarely flowers.