The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Illustrated Dictionary of Orchid Genera (Comstock Book) (Hardcover)

by Peggy Alrich (Author), Wesley Higgins (Author), Bruce Hensen (Editor), Robert L. Dressler (Editor), Tom Sheehan (Editor)
Key Phrases: footless column, above type name, erect side lobes, Dictionary of Orchid Genera, New Guinea, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
"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.

From the Back Cover
"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, Director, Wisconsin State Herbarium, and Associate Professor of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 482 pages
• Publisher: Cornell University Press (September 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801447372
• ISBN-13: 978-0801447372
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #343,649 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Marie Selby Gardens Illustrated Dictionary of Orchid Genera, November 2, 2008

By	Susan E. Cosner (Casselberry, Florida United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Excellent book. Long needed by the orchid community. It can be understood by and useful to beginners and experienced orchidists alike.A must for any orchid library. I thank the team from Marie Selby for this well written concise reference book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference book, February 11, 2009

By	Christopher K. Garrod "Double Clicker" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My wife asked me to order this book for her birthday.
I accidentally ordered two copies (maybe I double clicked?) of it.

My wife loves the book, and has shown it to her orchid species study group.

We donated the second copy to the curator of orchids at the San Diego Zoo.
That made me a real hero. It was already on her wish list.