Rare and Exotic Orchids Their Nature and Cultural Significance

About this book

Comprising some 28,000 different species, orchids are by far the largest flowering plant family on Earth. Every year, new species are being uncovered in the wild or created by humans, and so this number has only continued to blossom.

Rare and Exotic Orchids is intended for those who wish to learn about the multifaceted nature of this amazing plant. It covers many different aspects of orchid study, from its cultural history to its evolutionary development and from its first discoveries to ongoing scientific research. No matter your specialty or level of orchid expertise, you can find in this book new and fascinating facts and stories. Through the many exotic and beautiful pictures in this book, you will come to know something of the infinite diversity of this plant family and learn why so many orchid growers and fanatics are fascinated with these plants.

Contents

Preface
Chapter 1 History of Orchids
Chapter 2 What are Orchids?
Chapter 3 Exotic Appearance
Chapter 4 Deviant Sex
Chapter 5 On the Scent
Glossary
Bibliography
Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Joel L. Schiff was born in Chicago and has a PhD in mathematics from the University of California, Los Angeles. He spent his career at the University of Auckland and has written three books on various mathematical subjects (published by Springer-Verlag and John Wiley & Sons). He has also been a successful part-time asteroid hunter and was the founder and publisher of an international journal on Meteorites, for which he was awarded the 2012 Service Award from the International Meteoritical Society. Having a life-long interest in art, Schiff is also an artist who paints in oils and in 2014 had a book published about the New Zealand/Australian/British artist, Grace Joel. Research led him to discover Marie Bashkirtseff, one of the most fascinating individuals of the 19th century, about whom his next book (2016) was published.