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Extraordinary Orchids
Orchids fascinate. Parts of the orchid flower have shapes unlike any other flowering plant, and the sheer number of species means that their variety is seemingly endless, with an ability to interbreed and create ever more fantastical forms.
Extraordinary Orchids reveals some of the bizarre life-styles and interactions that botanists have uncovered amongst different categories of the epiphytic orchids, the ground-dwelling ones, the insect-mimicking ones and those whose lifestyles are so closely bound to their interactions with insects and birds.
Many orchid common names refer to the shape-shifting forms of the orchid flower the 'man-orchids' or 'monkey orchids' are so called because of their resemblance to the primate form. Orchids lend themselves to depiction, and botanical artworks of them abound. Who could resist painting or drawing such intriguing shapes?
Sandra Knapp examines each category of orchid in turn and all are illustrated with stunning artwork from artists such as Ferdinand and Franz Bauer, Arthur Harry Church, Sydney Parkinson, Henry Fletcher Hance, John Russell Reeves, and images taken from James Bateman's The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala.
Extraordinary Orchids reveals some of the bizarre life-styles and interactions that botanists have uncovered amongst different categories of the epiphytic orchids, the ground-dwelling ones, the insect-mimicking ones and those whose lifestyles are so closely bound to their interactions with insects and birds.
Many orchid common names refer to the shape-shifting forms of the orchid flower the 'man-orchids' or 'monkey orchids' are so called because of their resemblance to the primate form. Orchids lend themselves to depiction, and botanical artworks of them abound. Who could resist painting or drawing such intriguing shapes?
Sandra Knapp examines each category of orchid in turn and all are illustrated with stunning artwork from artists such as Ferdinand and Franz Bauer, Arthur Harry Church, Sydney Parkinson, Henry Fletcher Hance, John Russell Reeves, and images taken from James Bateman's The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala.
Hardcover
Published March 25, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 31, 2023
A coffee-table book with discussion and illustrations of all kinds of orchids.
This book mostly consists of full-page color illustrations of orchid flowers, including fine details of their structure, patterns, and texture. It also has several chapters of text explaining the role of orchids in myth and medicine, the history of their study and cultivation, their wildly varied forms and lifestyles, and the complex symbiotic relationships they form with fungi and pollinators.
My greatest disappointment with this book is that there isn't more to say. Even in the year 2020, there's much that we simply don't know about orchids, and especially why they are the way they are. My favorite part of the book is the illustrations. The artwork is quite lovely, and the flowers being depicted are beautiful, strange, and intricate. It's fascinating to explore the evolved mechanisms, with precisely laid out platforms, chambers, hinges, curtains, and slides all used to manipulate insects into position and load them down with pollen. It's also remarkable to see how well the flowers mimic the appearance of other flowers, insects, and even mushrooms in order to lure them.
This book is a light introduction to everything there is to know about orchids, filled with beautiful and fascinating illustrations that highlight their complexity.
This book mostly consists of full-page color illustrations of orchid flowers, including fine details of their structure, patterns, and texture. It also has several chapters of text explaining the role of orchids in myth and medicine, the history of their study and cultivation, their wildly varied forms and lifestyles, and the complex symbiotic relationships they form with fungi and pollinators.
My greatest disappointment with this book is that there isn't more to say. Even in the year 2020, there's much that we simply don't know about orchids, and especially why they are the way they are. My favorite part of the book is the illustrations. The artwork is quite lovely, and the flowers being depicted are beautiful, strange, and intricate. It's fascinating to explore the evolved mechanisms, with precisely laid out platforms, chambers, hinges, curtains, and slides all used to manipulate insects into position and load them down with pollen. It's also remarkable to see how well the flowers mimic the appearance of other flowers, insects, and even mushrooms in order to lure them.
This book is a light introduction to everything there is to know about orchids, filled with beautiful and fascinating illustrations that highlight their complexity.
February 12, 2024
The illustrations in the book were somewhat overwhelmingly complex, but definitely very beautiful.
February 15, 2023
A book of fascinating anecdotes and beautiful artwork.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews