Book Description

Orchid Biology: Reviews and Perspectives, IX, (2007) presents a broad range of scientific subjects that represents the most current knowledge in orchidology. This volume includes chapters that discuss (1) Calaway Dodson, whose research on the orchids of Ecuador continues to inspire generations of botanists; (2) orchids pollinated by Lepidoptera; (3) a comprehensive survey of terrestrial orchid morphology; (4) the original writings (translated into English) on orchid seed germination by Noël Bernard; (5) the origin of Singapore's national flower, the well-known orchid Vanda 'Miss Joaquim'; (6) a thorough overview of the impact that DNA sequence data has made in orchid systematics by focusing on the first decade of contributions in molecular phylogenetic studies of Orchidaceae; and (7) a detailed appendix, the subject of which is species-by-species records from pollination to fruit ripening, seed maturation, and germination of orchids. Volume IX of Orchid Biology: Reviews and Perspectives is truly international in scope and diverse in subject. 10th volume (2009) in a series which was initiated in 1977. Like previous volumes, it contains scientific peer reviewed reviews on topics dealing with orchids. These topics include 1) a history of orchid breeders in Singapore, 2) discussion of research on pollen effects on orchid flowers carried out a century ago by the German plant physiologist Hans Fitting in Bogor, Indonesia which led to the first suggestion that plants produce hormones, 3) consideration whether orchids are mentioned in the Bible, 4) review of food hairs in orchids, 5) outline of pollen dispersal units in orchids, 6) survey of orchids in art, 7) a tracing of the history of Vanilla pollination, 8) a chapter on viruses which attack orchids and 9) an appendix which lists a very large number of orchid books. All the volumes in this series will appeal to those who are interested in orchids and plant scientists in general.