| The
Genus Paphiopedilum Author : Phillip Cribb Classes : Plants Price : US$ 84.00 Availability : Hard Cover Pages : 427 Dimensions : 262. 192. 35 mm ISBN : 983-812-023-5 Code : 99037 |
Paphiopedilums hold a special place in the affections of orchid lovers. For the grower they exhibit several readily appreciated virtues: they are exotic to took at; they produce large flowers on small plants; there are almost 70 known species all of which might be grown in a relatively small greenhouse; many species are rare in the wild and consequently have acquired investment value; and, finally, despite 175 years of searching, new species are still being discovered.
Iris therefore scarcely surprising that they are, and have been since the early nineteenth century, one of the most popular of all orchid groups and are now widely grown throughout the world. Their biology, classification and evolution are endlessly fascinating. The slipper orchids, of which Paphiopedilum is the largest genus, represent a small but remarkable offshoot of the main line of orchid evolution.
The 11 years since the publication of the first edition of The Genus Paphiopedilum, has been an exciting period in which several new species have been discovered and our understanding of the evolution and classification of the genus has been greatly enhanced, particularly because of the use of molecular techniques and analyses aimed at clarifying phylogenetic relationships.
In this revised account, the author has synthesised the recent evidence to produce a classification of the genus that is first and foremost usable, and also consistent with the evidence available. Chapters on the hybridisation, cultivation (by Michael Tibbs), and conservation are also included. New discoveries and the ever developing techniques of genome analysis, for example, will undoubtedly refine our appreciation of variation and relationships in the genus.
Hopefully, this treatment will provide a framework for such studies in the future and provide a sound guide to growers of this endlessly fascinating group.
AUTHOR
Phillip Cribb is a Senior Principal Scientific Officer at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew where he is also Deputy Keeper of the Herbarium and Curator of the Orchid Herbarium. He joined the staff of Kew in 1974 and has since specialised in the study of orchids.
His particular interests are the orchids of tropical Africa, Madagascar and South-east Asia. He has published over 250 scientific papers, articles and books on orchids since 1974. Notable amongst these are the Manual of Cultivated Orchid Species (3rd ed. 1992), The Genus Pleione (1988), The Genus Paphiopedilum (1987), The Genus Cymbidium with David DuPuy (1987), and The Genus Cypripedium (1997).
He is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society's Orchid Committee, the Executive Committee of the International Orchid Commission, and is chairman of the IUCN's Orchid Specialist Group. He has travelled widely in Africa, Madagascar, South-east Asia, China, the Pacific Islands and the tropical Americas in the course of his orchid studies.