United States
£ GBP
Wild Orchids of Bedfordshire is a superbly illustrated and up-to-date account of Bedfordshire's wild orchid flora following two years of intensive fieldwork by local naturalists. Accounts of all 27 species that have ever been recorded in the county are included as well as hybrids and varieties.
All species have, on average, four pages of text and photographs. The accounts include information on status, habit, threats, variation, including any hybrids and where they can be seen on open access sites.
The distribution maps are at a 1 km scale and emphasise the data from the two year survey. They also show older records to indicate changes that have occurred since 2000 and also since recording of the county's flora began seriously in the late 18th century.
Introductory material includes important chapters on the continuing survey of Autumn Lady's-tresses on Knocking Hoe started by the late Terry Wells in 1962 and the conservation of orchids in the county.
The authors, Richard Revels, Chris Boon and Graham Bellamy have spent the last two years recording in detail the orchid flora of the county along with over three hundred local people who have enthusiastically contributed records. Richard Revels has been photographing all species still present in the county from their early leaves through flowering to seeding and, where possible, any insect pollinators visiting the flowers.
"[...] This is a superb production, beautifully printed, perfectly pitched, well presented and thoroughly reliable. This is English local botany at its very best."
– Peter Marren, British Wildlife 26(6), August 2015
