The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Illustrated Dictionary of Orchid Genera

by Peggy Alrich, Wesley Higgins, Bruce Hensen (Editor), Robert L. Dressler (Editor), Thomas J. Sheehan (Editor)

Overview

Published in Association with Selby Botanical Gardens Press

"The hundreds of orchid genera and thousands of species can seem unbelievably complex, but they are beautiful, mysterious, and alluring. Therefore we want reliable ways in which to refer to them—ways that will be understood by those who hear us or read our written communications about these plants. The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Illustrated Dictionary of Orchid Genera will become a convenient reference for those many people who are fascinated by orchids. By referring to this guide, one can find a secure mooring for any species of orchid, one that makes it possible to understand its relatives and its place in the galaxy of orchid variation."—from the Foreword by Peter H. Raven

The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Illustrated Dictionary of Orchid Genera is the most comprehensive and extensively illustrated account of orchid genera to date. Its concise entries provide details of nomenclature, classification, original publication, etymology, and geographic range, along with a brief description and color images of representative flowers.

The dictionary describes not only all of the 850 orchid genera that are recognized today but also those genera known only from fossil records, published before Linnaeus, validly published (but not accepted), and invalidly published according to the standards of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, as well as those that have variant names or spellings. In addition to the alphabetic entries, this dictionary includes an introduction to orchid biology, a glossary, a list of taxonomists credited with publishing new orchid genera, key references and bibliographical abbreviation list, and the governing nomenclature rules. The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Illustrated Dictionary of Orchid Genera also features a Foreword by Peter H. Raven and an Introduction on the biology of orchids by David Benzing that describes the August 2007 discovery of the world's oldest unequivically orchidaceous fossil.

The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida, are extensive botanical gardens dedicated to research and collections of epiphytes, especially orchids and bromeliads, and their canopy ecosystems. The Gardens maintain the most diverse collection of bromeliads in the world and feature over 20,000 plants from some 6,000 species in 1,200 genera from 214 plant families, including 6,000 live orchids. This monumental work is yet another manifestation of the collection—an extension of the Gardens into print.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801447372
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	10/15/2008
Series:	Comstock Book
Pages:	512
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Peggy Alrich, the author of Orchids on Stamps and Encyclopedia of Orchid Stamps and Cancels, is a graphics designer and orchid enthusiast. Wesley Higgins is Director of Systematics at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Bruce Hansen is the coauthor of Flora of Florida. Robert L. Dressler is author of Phylogeny and Classification of the Orchid Family. Tom Sheehan is author of Ultimate Orchid. John Atwood is a former Research Scientist at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Peter H. Raven is the Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden and the coauthor of Biology of Plants. David Benzing is Jesse B. Cox Chair in Tropical Botany at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

What People are Saying About This

Kenneth M. Cameron

"The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Illustrated Dictionary of Orchid Genera balances the needs of amateur orchid enthusiasts with those of the professional orchidologist, and its layout is very clean and easy to read. This book is not merely a list of names, nor is it a comprehensive treatment of the entire Orchidaceae. It is refreshingly something in between and 'just right' for the office or the home library."

Linda Scarth

"The authors of The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Illustrated Dictionary of Orchid Genera set themselves the task to locate and briefly describe all orchid genus names found in the literature up to 2007. Including genera known only from fossil records, published before Linnaeus, validly published but not accepted, etc., the entries number more than three times the 850 genera recognized today. Following an overview describing the anatomy, physiology, and biology of orchids, the entries for each genus are given a color-coded classification system indicating status of accepted use and other variables. There are publication notes on the name (including variants and misspellings), its etymology, and, when appropriate, the number of species, geographic range, and a brief synopsis of the genus. Each page is embellished with one to six lovely thumbnail illustrations of selected blooms. The last 50 pages provide supplementary information: publication abbreviations, acknowledgments, a glossary, taxonomists, and an illustration index.... It is a good value worthy of consideration for any botany and gardening collection."

From the Publisher

"Alrich and Higgins offer a comprehensive guide to the identification and taxonomic etymology of nearly 2550 color-coded orchid species, including fossilized and pre-Linnaean types in addition to invalidated variants. Paragraph-long entries are organized alphabetically by genus name and are accompanied either by drawings or full-color photographs. Excised from their backgrounds, the illustrations focus solely on contour and interior morphology, rather than surrounding environment. The book opens with a fascinating flora profile, including cellular diagrams, physiological descriptions, and a further reading list. Highly recommended for all botanical collections."

Editorial Reviews

"The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Illustrated Dictionary of Orchid Genera balances the needs of amateur orchid enthusiasts with those of the professional orchidologist, and its layout is very clean and easy to read. This book is not merely a list of names, nor is it a comprehensive treatment of the entire Orchidaceae. It is refreshingly something in between and 'just right' for the office or the home library."

Kenneth M. Cameron

"The authors of The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Illustrated Dictionary of Orchid Genera set themselves the task to locate and briefly describe all orchid genus names found in the literature up to 2007. Including genera known only from fossil records, published before Linnaeus, validly published but not accepted, etc., the entries number more than three times the 850 genera recognized today. Following an overview describing the anatomy, physiology, and biology of orchids, the entries for each genus are given a color-coded classification system indicating status of accepted use and other variables. There are publication notes on the name (including variants and misspellings), its etymology, and, when appropriate, the number of species, geographic range, and a brief synopsis of the genus. Each page is embellished with one to six lovely thumbnail illustrations of selected blooms. The last 50 pages provide supplementary information: publication abbreviations, acknowledgments, a glossary, taxonomists, and an illustration index.... It is a good value worthy of consideration for any botany and gardening collection."

Linda Scarth

"Alrich and Higgins offer a comprehensive guide to the identification and taxonomic etymology of nearly 2550 color-coded orchid species, including fossilized and pre-Linnaean types in addition to invalidated variants. Paragraph-long entries are organized alphabetically by genus name and are accompanied either by drawings or full-color photographs. Excised from their backgrounds, the illustrations focus solely on contour and interior morphology, rather than surrounding environment. The book opens with a fascinating flora profile, including cellular diagrams, physiological descriptions, and a further reading list. Highly recommended for all botanical collections."

From the Publisher

Alrich (Orchids on Stamps) and Higgins (Selbyana) offer a comprehensive guide to the identification and taxonomic etymology of nearly 2550 color-coded orchid species, including fossilized and pre-Linnaean types in addition to invalidated variants. Paragraph-long entries are organized alphabetically by genus name and are accompanied either by drawings or full-color photographs. Excised from their backgrounds, the illustrations focus solely on contour and interior morphology, rather than surrounding environment. The book opens with a fascinating flora profile, including cellular diagrams, physiological descriptions, and a further reading list. The dictionary complements (but exceeds in breadth) Isobyl la Croix's The New Encyclopedia of Orchids. Highly recommended for all botanical collections.

—Savannah Schroll Guz

Library Journal