Orchid Biology Reviews And Perspectives X

As stated many times before the purpose of Orchid Biology, Reviews and Perspectives (OB) is to present reviews on all aspects of orchids. The aim is not to balance every volume, but to make a balanced and wide ranging presentation of orchids in the series as a whole. The chapters in this, the last volume of the series, range over a number of topics which were not covered before. Singapore is justly famed for its orchids. They can be seen on arrival (or dep- ture) in its modern, highly efficient and comfortable Changi Airport and on the way from it to town. Vanda Miss Joaquim, the first hybrid to come from Singapore became its National Flower. This natural hybrid can be seen on its currency, stamps, and public and private decorations. Many excellent breeders, starting with Prof. Eric Holttum who bred the first man made hybrid (Spathoglottis Primrose), produced numerous magnificent hybrids and won countless awards in Singapore and elsewhere. These hybrids served to enrich the country’s orchid mystique. In the opening chapter of this volume Dr. Teoh Eng Soon (Western style: Eng Soon Teoh), himself a prize winning orchid breeder, grower and author writes about some of the breeders who contributed to the Singapore orchid fame. Prof. Hans Fitting was one of the best known plant physiologists of his time. As a young man he studied the effects of pollen on orchid flowers.

This is the eighth volume in a 25-year-old series that has become the cornerstone review publication of orchid science. It presents authoritative reviews on different areas of orchid science and historical accounts by major orchid authorities, providing information for botanists, orchid scientists, and growers.

A Personal Note I decided to initiate Orchid Biology: Reviews and Perspectives in about 1972 and (alone or with co-authors) started to write some of the chapters and the appendix for the volume in 1974 during a visit to the Bogor Botanical Gardens in Indonesia. Professor H. C. D. de Wit of Holland was also in Bogor at that time and when we discovered a joint interest in Rumphius he agreed to write a chapter about him. I visited Bangkok on my way home from Bogor and while there spent time with Professor Thavorn Vajrabhaya. He readily agreed to write a chapter. The rest of the chapters were solicited by mail and I had the complete manuscript on my desk in 1975. With that in hand I started to look for a publisher. Most of the publishers I contacted were not interested. Fortunately Mr James Twiggs, at that time editor of Cornell University Press, grew orchids and liked the idea. He decided to publish Orchid Biology: Reviews and Per spectives, and volume I saw the light of day in 1977. I did not know if there would be a volume II but collected manuscripts for it anyway. Fortunately volume I did well enough to justify a second book, and the series was born. It is still alive at present - 20 years, seven volumes and three publishers later. I was in the first third of my career when volume I was published.

Examines the biology, history, evolution and commercial uses of orchids. All aspects of the orchid are explored including how they are classified and named; the cytology, physiology, phytochemistry and morphology of orchids; their anatomy, mycorrhiza, pollination, embryology, reproduction, heredity and breeding and ecological characteristics. Numerous illustrations throughout aid in comprehension.

Over the past ten years, the orchid industry has been growing at a steady pace in South-East Asia and East Asia. In some Asian countries, orchids have become an essential export item. To maintain this progress, there is an urgent need for a book that will help the region's orchid growers in improving their cultivation and management skills, and guide new students in understanding orchid physiology. This book provides a comprehensive description of tropical orchid physiology relevant to commercial growers, research workers and graduate students. An integrated and unifying theme of tropical orchid physiology, with a clearly written factual text as well as illustrations, is presented over nine chapters. Each chapter is designed to provide comprehensive and up-to-date information on a particular aspect of orchid physiology. This book complements the existing scientific literature available for improving orchid cultivation and setting a new research agenda, especially in the tropics.

This is the ultimate book on Singapore's national flower. Created as a hybrid in Singapore, by the woman horticulturalist whose name it bears, it was first formally described in 1893 by "Mad" Ridley, of Singapore's Botanic Gardens. Fifty years later it was one of the most famous orchids in the world, grown from Hawai'i to Barbados. Its popularity faltered in the 1950s, but in the 1980s it was selected as a symbol of Singapore. Its role in Singapore's national and horticultural life seems unlikely to diminish. This book is a repository of the relevant scientific, horticultural, and historical knowledge on Singapore's national flower.