The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids [antikvár]

Foreword Orchids are widely thought of as special: they have a reputation for glamor. Sometimes people even need reminding that orchids are in the end only plants. While diis book will confirm that orchids are plants, it will also illustrate why they are special. Although some orchids are among the most striking, beautiful and glamorous flowers to be found in nature, many are in fact the weeds of their habitats; but all are interesting to the connoisseur. The size of the orchid family and the unparalleled diversity of form to be found within it constitute a claim on human attention perhaps more fundamental than any claim based on beauty alone. No family of plants is more deserving of encyclopedic treatment. Orchid-growers will find that Dr Pridgeon's text and the contributions of his distinguished colleagues form an invaluable work of reference. No other work on orchids has quite the aim of this one, comprehensive yet compact. Few can boast such a solid range of botanical as well as horticultural expertise among their contributors. The book will not only benefit the convinced orchidophile, but is also admirably designed to attract, to intrigue and perhaps to entice the general reader who as yet knows little or nothing about orchids. A good book to have on one's shelf — and a good book to leave lying about where one's friends may see it, pick it up and see what is within. There is a serious message too. Nowadays it is tmhappily necessary to draw attention to the great environmental pressure which the Orchidaceae are under. This is a fete which they share with much else in the plant, as in die animal, kingdom. It is man's feult, and it is up to all of us to do what we can to minimize or deflect the impact of mankind. Perhaps the orchids, because of their reputation and their glamor, are uniquely fitted to serve as a symbol and a rallying-point for those who are concerned about what we are collectively doing to the only planet that we have. Aiasdair Morrison chairman, The Orchid Committee The Royal Horticultural Society London Preface Because of the sheer size of the orchid family, no one volume can ever hope to describe and illustrate every known species. The contributors to this work, all experts in their respective areas of Orchidaceae, have described hundreds of the major species in cultivation as well as many rarely seen, either in cultivation or in books. Each generic description includes taxonomic authority, common pronunciation(s), distribution, and brief recommendations for successful cultivation. Every effort has been made to ensure that photographs of species are correctly identified and that the text is concise and accurate. Like the orchids themselves, our knowledge of orchids is constantly and rapidly evolving, engendering the need to continue research and publish the results as quickly as possible, in advance of the rapid degradation of the environment and orchid habitats. I hope that our children and their descendants will be able to see the orchids illustrated here in the wild and not solely in dusty books, relics of another age. Alec M. Pridgeon