The Flower of the European Orchid: Form and Function provides an elaborate overview of all aspects of the orchid flower. From each genus the following aspects are illustrated: habitat, flower close-ups, macrophotographs of the column, rosette and capsules; flower diagrams; SEM-photographs of pollinia, pollinaria or pollen grains, microscopic sections of the flower and pollinators.
In the introductory chapter the terminology is explained and illustrated with many macro-photographs. Included are various tables about all known pollinators, fruit set, bending speed of the caudicles,an overview of all autogamous species with mode of autogamy and seed number per capsule. An extensive bibliography provides a survey of all old and recent literature.
Please note that the authors recently made five appendices available online, which can be downloaded below.
Appendix 1: Pollinators - additions 2016 (625 kb)
Appendix 2: Fruit set - additions 2016 (233 kb)
Appendix 3: Autogamy - additions 2016 (122 kb)
Appendix 4: Seed number per capsule - additions 2016 (298 kb)
References: additions 2016 (581 kb)
Foreword 9
Preface 10
Acknowledgements 11
General account 13
Abbreviations of flower parts 14
Abbreviations of country names 14
Orchid biology 17
Roots 17
Stem and leaves 17
Bracts and ovary 17
Seeds 18
Sepals and petals 18
Lip and spur 18
Column 22
Staminodia and auricles 22
Anther 24
Clinandrium 24
Pollen 24
Caudicle 26
Stigma 28
Rostellum 30
Viscidium 30
Bursicle 34
Stipe 34
Pollination biology 35
Allogamy 35
Autogamy 36
Systematic account 41
Systematics 42
Histology 45
Palynology: Methods 45
Cypripedium 47
Cephalanthera 57
Limodorum 65
Neottia 75
Epipactis 91
Epipogium 109
Liparis 121
Hammarbya 129
Malaxis 137
Corallorhiza 147
Calypso 155
Goodyera 161
Spiranthes 171
Herminium 185
Gennaria 193
Habenaria 199
Anacamptis 205
Orchis 217
Dactylorhiza 233
Neotinea 251
Himantoglossum 261
Platanthera 277
Gymnadenia 289
Pseudorchis 305
Serapias 315
Ophrys 329
Neottianthe 341
Steveniella 347
Chamorchis 353
Traunsteinera 363
Glossary 375
Appendix 1: Pollinators 381
Appendix 2: Fruit set 398
Appendix 3: Autogamy 409
Appendix 4: Seed number 412
Appendix 5: Bending time caudicles 413
References 415
Index 433