Contributions to the Orchid Flora of Guinea, West Africa

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This is a full standard flora of the country and treats 54 genera and 153 species based on the examination of 1258 herbarium specimens. After a short introduction and key to the genera, each genus is treated in detail with literature references, a formal description, and general statements about its size and distribution. Each species is provided with literature references, type citations, a formal description, and paragraphs on ecology and distribution. Flowering season and known elevations in Guinea are stated where known. Refreshingly, the authors unambiguously differentiate between the numerous type specimens they have personally examined (denoted by an exclamation mark) and those restated from other works.

The line drawings are of two kinds. One set illustrates detailed column structures for each genus, an intense field of interest for Szlachetko. The other set illustrates individual species. Given space limitations, the latter mostly comprise floral dissections rather than drawings of complete plants. Even so, the illustrations make the volume very easy to use for identifications.