Wild Orchids of Texas (Corrie Herring Hooks Series) [Hardcover]

Joe Liggio (Author), Ann Orto Liggio (Author), David H. Riskind (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1999 | Series: Corrie Herring Hooks Series (Book 41)

From the East Texas swamps and forests to the Edwards Plateau canyons and the Trans-Pecos mountains, Texas hosts a surprising number of native orchids. Their exquisite beauty endears them to everyone from wildflower lovers to professional botanists and conservationists. This beautifully illustrated book presents all 54 wild orchids of Texas. The species descriptions that accompany Joe Liggio's lovely color photos discuss the plant's flowers, blooming season, pollinators, typical habitats, and range (also shown by map), including its distribution within and beyond Texas. The species are grouped by genus and also listed by color, county, and habitat for easy reference. In addition to the species accounts, the authors offer a general natural history of Texas orchids that discusses such topics as pollination and reproduction, special growing requirements, and threats to orchids from loss of habitats and careless collecting. They also describe the many orchid habitats in Texas and the species that grow in each. This wide variety of information, which has never before been collected in one volume for a general readership, makes this book the essential guide to Texas' wild orchids.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Of all the state and regional books on orchids, this is the best that I have read. As attractive as it is educational, this book will stand as the bible of Texas orchids for decades to come." --Carl R. Slaughter, author of Wild Orchids of Arkansas

Review

Of all the state and regional books on orchids, this is the best that I have read. As attractive as it is educational, this book will stand as the bible of Texas orchids for decades to come. (Carl R. Slaughter, author of Wild Orchids of Arkansas )

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; 1st edition (1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292747128
• ISBN-13: 978-0292747128
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,088,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wild Orchids of Texas by Joe Liggio & Ann Orto Liggio, July 17, 2000

By 

Dr. Lawrence K. Magrath, Curator of the USAO ... (Chickasha, OK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wild Orchids of Texas (Corrie Herring Hooks Series) (Hardcover)

This book is clearly a labor of love on the part of the authors, and is one that should be very useful to nature lovers in general, and both amateur and professional orchidologists. The photography is excellent, giving a feel for both the habitat and individual plants and flowers. There is only one very rare species that is not pictured. The index is well done and quite useable. The authors have done a superb job of promoting the cause of orchid conservation -- including such things as "How to Save Our Native Orchids: What You Can Do" on page 5. They have a good general discussion of orchid life cycles, their habitats, mycorhizal associations and pollenators. For those not familiar with Texas the inclusion of a vegetation map and a short description of each major vegetation type is very useful. Orchids are listed by: 1) flower colour, 2) by vegetation/habitat types, and finally species distributions by county are given. One orchid Habenaria quinqueseta does not have a distribution map, but since it was collected over 150 years ago, we shouldn't be too concerned. The only real lack that I have found is that there is no key to the genera and species given. This is an excellent book that every serious orchid species enthusiast should have in their book collection -- if only for the wonderful photography.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wild Orchids of Texas, July 9, 2009

By 

Donna & Johnny - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wild Orchids of Texas (Corrie Herring Hooks Series) (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book - a beautiful reference for the wild orchids in Texas. Its arrangement makes identifying and searching for orchids as easy as possible. I particularly like the descriptions of habitats and the attention to locations. It has small maps with county designations and there is an index in the back to allow searching by county. The photographs are beautiful and are taken in their natural settings and that makes it easier to look for these orchids. Anyone with an interest in wild orchids in Texas should have this book. I highly recommend it!

5.0 out of 5 stars You don't have to be a Biologist to use and love this book!, January 14, 2006

By 

R. Daniel (East Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wild Orchids of Texas (Corrie Herring Hooks Series) (Hardcover)

These authors really know their stuff! Lots of information to help your chances of actually observing these native beauties in the wild. Conservation is a repeated theme throughout. Texans will be blown away by the incredible photos! I love mine.