This comprehensive guide describes the 447 species of wild orchids that occur in Victoria, Australia. This region is one of the richest in the world for its diversity of temperate terrestrial orchids. Orchid diversity in Victoria spans some of the smallest to some of the largest orchids in Australia, from the minute Mallacoota Midge Orchid, with flowers just 2 mm across, to the large King Orchid, with big plants having hundreds of fragrant flowers and weighing many kilograms.
Guide to Native Orchids of Victoria includes brief descriptions on all species, enabling their identification in the field. With more than 460 photographs of wild orchids in their natural habitat and distribution maps for almost all species, this guide will delight and inspire anyone interested in orchids.
Reader notes
Acknowledgements
Photographic credits
Abbreviations
Diversity, biology and ecology
Species profiles
Hybrid orchids
Glossary
Further reading
Index of scientific names
Index of common names
Gary N. Backhouse worked in biodiversity conservation with the Victorian Government until his retirement in 2012. He has travelled to most of the major centres for orchid diversity around the world and has photographed over 5000 species of orchids in the wild. Gary is the author or co-author of three books on native orchids of Victoria, a book on Caladenia orchids of Australia, and Guide to Native Orchids of NSW and ACT.
"Orchid enthusiasts will love this comprehensive guide to the 447 species of wild orchids in Victoria, including 66 species not previously described."
– Gardening Australia, March 2023