Netherland
Female Orchid Classification System
The origin of the word netherland is comprised of the word “nether” meaning low, and “land” – literally meaning low land. There are additional orchid features that occur in netherland, so its necessary to articulate the boundaries and meaning of netherland.
Netherland is similar to the anatomical vulval vestibule, but with a FOCS distinction as shown below.
Redefining the anatomical vulva vestibule into two distinct areas being netherland and the vagina, may initially seem like over complicating the matter. This was done for precision, since there are distinct features in netherland and different features on the outside of the vagina that need to be articulated. An additional complexity lies in the fact that features from both the netherland and the vagina may coalesce into each other forming a multiplex form. Once individual features have been defined, it is much easier to understand the multiplex feature as a sum of the parts. Netherland and vaginal features have as much if not more diversity of form as the sheath and labia.
Urethra and Pedestal
The primary feature in netherland is the urethra (an orifice) which most commonly has raised surrounding tissue called a pedestal. The pedestal can be thought of as a mold surrounding the urethra. Typically, mucosal tissue originates from the vagina and continues uninterrupted into netherland forming a pedestal, with the urethral opening in the center. Most orchids have a pedestal urethra, with flat or absence of a pedestal being much less common. The pedestal and the urethra generally occur close to the anterior wall of the vagina, however, the urethra, and therefore the associated pedestal, may be slightly inside the vagina, or extend well north into netherland.
There are too many natural variations to categorize or generalize the shapes of pedestals, so each orchid requires a unique description of the urethral pedestal using common English language. Below are examples of the simplest varieties of pedestal shapes.
Netherforms
A further distinction is necessary to account for portions of the pedestal that extend well into netherland as the last two examples illustrate. Those portions of the pedestal that extend into netherland are again, really just types of ridgeforms. In these instances, to differentiate the ridgeforms from those originating at the sheath or hood area, the ridgeform parts of the pedestal or independent ridgeforms found in netherland are called netherforms ( a contraction of netherland and ridgeforms). Netherforms can be part of the pedestal, or independent ridgeforms occurring in netherland.
Below are examples of more complex pedestals and netherforms. Note in the examples there are other types of ridgeforms surrounding the vagina that are not articulated in this section. These ridgeforms are covered in depth in the Vagina Section.
Below are more examples of the variations in netherforms.
