Definition of "orchidea"

The old trees were decorated with beautiful orchideas*, yellow bannisterias, blue-flowered bignonias, peperomias, arums, and pothoses. […] * Cymbidium violaceum, habenaria angustifolia, &c.

1821, Helen Maria Williams, transl., Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent, During the Years 1799-1804. By Alexander de Humboldt, and Aimé Bonpland; with Maps, Plans, &c., volume V, London: […] Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], translation of original by Alexander de Humboldt, page 49

Lœlia Albida. A very interesting addition to our stove orchidea, and sent from Oaxaca to Mr. Bateman of Kynpersly. […] Angræcum bilobum.—An orchidea from Cape Coast Castle. […] Balbophyllum limbatum.—This orchidea Messrs. Loddiges received from Singapore. […] Cirrhopetalum vaginatum.—The flowers of this orchidea are of a pale straw colour. […] Cælogyne Cumingii.—This orchidea was brought to this country by Mr. Cuming. […] Mycaranthus obliqua.—Another orchidea from Sincapore to Messrs. Loddiges. […] Liparis spathulata.—An orchidea.

1839–1840, The Floricultural Cabinet and Florists’ Magazine, London: Whittaker, & Co., […], pages 92 (volume VII, 1839), 221 , 248, 249, and 280 (volume VIII, 1840)

Cœlogyne elata.—An orchidea from Nepal, with whitish flowers, but not particularly handsome.

1859 January 1, The Gardener’s Monthly, volume I, number 1, Philadelphia, Pa., page 11

[…]; on the trunks of the larger trees may be seen pepper-worts and other delicate creepers, chiefly convolvuli, impomseas, the pitcher plant, whilst the orchideas suspend their pendulous flowers from the branches of the trees;

1862, Bradshaw’s Railway, &c., Through Route and Overland Guide to India, Turkey, Persia, Egypt, and China; or, The Traveller’s Manual of How to Reach and How to Live in the Three Presidencies of India (Bradshaw’s), London: W. J. Adams […]; Manchester: Bradshaw and Blacklock, […], page 187

Angræcum fragrans, Thou., an orchidea, the leaves of which, smelling of coumarin, are used for scenting tea;

1922, Annual Report on Essential Oils, Aromatic Chemicals and Related Materials‎, page 106

A gigantic species of Aleurodidae (Homoptera) from greenhouse-orchideas.

1952, The Zoological Record: Being Records of Zoological Literature‎, page 140

[…]; propagation and growing of chrisanthemums, orchideas, strelitzia, anthurium, geraniums, kalanchoes and pot-grown foliage ornamentals; breeding of perennial and woody ornamentals, chrisanthemums, orchideas, strelitzia and kalanchoes;

1976, Directory of Hungarian Research Institutions‎, page 55

A chapter is devoted to the special cultivation methods of some ornamentals (e.g. Bonsai, Bromelias, Cactuses, Orchideas), as well as to the arrangement of inner spaces, hobby greenhouses and indoor glass cabinets, and to indoor plant protection.

1989, Acta Agronomica Hungarica‎, page 182

Another example of isolation is Dr Barrington Moore, who was abandoned by his ‘work of art’, Ava Moore, and decided to work with orchideas because they are precious and don’t go away (‘Joan Rivers’ (2.16)).

2011, “Notes”, in Roz Kaveney, Jennifer Stoy, editors, Nip/Tuck: Television That Gets Under Your Skin (Reading Contemporary Television)‎, I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd