The Genus Paphiopedilum

About this book

Language: English

The Genus Paphiopedilum by Braem, Chiron, & Öhlund is the most complete monograph hitherto written about this fascinating genus of slipper orchids. The extensive text is scientifically correct but written to be accessible to commercial and amateur orchid growers, professional botanists, and anyone interested in orchids or in beautiful and exotic flowering plants in general. The text is written by Prof. Dr. Guido Braem, one of the leading orchid taxonomists of our time. The botanist Dr. Guy Chiron and Professor Sandy Öhlund, an accredited judge with the American Orchid Society and an experienced orchid grower, contributed valuable information.

Starting with a short preamble and a detailed discussion, the book continues with a general section dealing with the basics of orchids and orchid taxonomy. Thereafter, the genus Paphiopedilum, representing the Asian tropical and subtropical slipper orchids, is discussed. The infrageneric divisions of the genus are explained and every one of the 98 species of the genus is treated in detail: basionym (the name as given in the original publication), synonym(s), discussion, etymology (origin of the name of the species), detailed description, distribution and habitat, flowering data in situ and in cultivation (as far as available), miscellaneous notes such as the mitotic chromosome count, and varieties and Forms (as far as applicable). All species are illustrated whereby the great majority of pictures are photographs taken from plants in cultivation and in their natural habitat. Close-ups are available for all species, as well as in situ photographs for a great number of the taxa. Furthermore, plates from famous botanical works have been included.

After the descriptive section, there is a chapter with identification keys to the various subgenera, sections, and subsections, and finally for each of these, there is a key leading to the species. The book is completed by an index of plant names and a bibliography.

Overall, the layout of the book warrants easy use. Those not interested in the purely scientific chapters can easily jump directly to the descriptive part of the work that is perfect for identification.

Based on the legendary books about the genus Paphiopedilum published by Prof Braem and his team in 1988, 1998/1999, and 2003, the present monograph is the most complete and up-to-date book on the subject, and will be the standard text for many years to come.

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