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Summary: Great Orchids book
Review: Beautiful photographs and very informative
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Summary: Best orchid species encyclopedia - 1100 species!
Review: Book contains about 298 pages divided into three sections. The sections are Orchid Cultivation & Description (15 pages), Species Encyclopedia (270 pages), and Glossary & Index (13 pages).The focus of the book is the orchid species encyclopedia. Each orchid is listed with information on genus, tribe, etymology, and a paragraph describing the characteristics of the orchid and its history. About 2/3rds of the species also include a photograph. Photography is excellent. Hundreds of clear, crisp, and properly identified images fill the book. It is truly an illustrated encyclopedia. I love this book! It is exactly the kind of reference book I needed. Being new to orchids, I have a difficult time seeing a name in a catalog and relating it to an image of an orchid flower. This book is great, it has helped me discover many new and interesting species. Well, at least they are new to me :-) My library contains several books on orchid culture that gives me clues to growing the plants. But this book identifies hundreds of genera, and 1100 species. Best orchid species encyclopedia that I've seen. Great reference book!
Rating:
Summary: Best orchid species encyclopedia - 1100 species!
Review: Book contains about 298 pages divided into three sections. The sections are Orchid Cultivation & Description (15 pages), Species Encyclopedia (270 pages), and Glossary & Index (13 pages). The focus of the book is the orchid species encyclopedia. Each orchid is listed with information on genus, tribe, etymology, and a paragraph describing the characteristics of the orchid and its history. About 2/3rds of the species also include a photograph. Photography is excellent. Hundreds of clear, crisp, and properly identified images fill the book. It is truly an illustrated encyclopedia. I love this book! It is exactly the kind of reference book I needed. Being new to orchids, I have a difficult time seeing a name in a catalog and relating it to an image of an orchid flower. This book is great, it has helped me discover many new and interesting species. Well, at least they are new to me :-) My library contains several books on orchid culture that gives me clues to growing the plants. But this book identifies hundreds of genera, and 1100 species. Best orchid species encyclopedia that I've seen. Great reference book!
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Summary: comprehensive orchid identification
Review: I feel that this book is invaluable when familiarizing yourself with the wide variety of orchids. It is especially useful when ordering from an orchid catalog with no pictures! However, it only lists species and there are many new orchids that develop every year.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Resource Book
Review: I like this book because it gives information on so many species orchids and has photographs of most of them. If I find a reference to a certain orchid in an online article or auction listing this is the first book I take from the shelf to get more information.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Resource Book
Review: I like this book because it gives information on so many species orchids and has photographs of most of them. If I find a reference to a certain orchid in an online article or auction listing this is the first book I take from the shelf to get more information.
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Summary: Comprehensive, interestly written with beautiful photographs
Review: I use our orchid society's library copy often for research when writing our monthly newsletter. Along with valuable culture information and beautiful photographs this book also contains interesting facts not often found in other resources. A beautiful coffee table book as well as an informative read.
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Summary: For more advanced orchidists
Review: If you already know a lot about orchids, and want an excellent, well-illustrated encyclopedia of species, this is great. If you are a beginner, however, this is probably not the book for you, since it concentrates on species (with a lot of very obscure orchids included) and doesn't give you anything about hybrid orchids, which is what most people grow and buy. It also isn't the best for helping you get started in growing orchids, for the cultural information is a bit more esoteric. Scientifically excellent.
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Summary: Time for a second edition?
Review: If you think it's time for a new and improved, still affordable edition of this work, please let Timber Press know!
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Summary: I actually purchased TWO copies this book is SO useful!
Review: Many orchid growers prefer working with species rather than man-made hybrids. For those growers, this book is invaluable. I actually have two copies: one at work to aid in discussions with co-workers who also grow orchids and one at home. A majority of the species mentioned are also pictured in fabulous photos. This book does not pretend to be all inclusive, but the most common species of the genera listed are included. That's certainly enough for me. If I become interested in a large genus (like Dendrobium), there are Dendrobium monographs available to fill that need.
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