Rod Rice
This highly informative and nicely illustrated book is the first of its kind to cover all of the vandoid orchid genera in Asia. The content includes; what defines an orchid of monopodial/vandaceous growth; the tremendous variation in plant and flower habit including the considerable array of perfumes; notes and observations on recently proposed generic changes based on first generation molecular technology; the main chapter on 'Selected Genera and Species of the Asian Vandoid Orchids' covers 72 genera and more than 180 species with text descriptions defining each genus and the included reprasentative species with their plant and flower habit/s, countries of distribution and notes on habitat and altitudinal range enhanced with very nice colour photos. The following chapters include miscellaneous notes and other observations on the genus Renanthera accompanied by the proposal of 1 new section and 2 new species which are nicely described and illustrated accompanied further with notes and technical drawings on the little known entity Renanthera moluccana and other species, including the unique pollination syndrome of the sister genus Renantherella and its type species R. histrionica.Further, an overview of the genus Ornithochilus is provided with the proposal of 1 new section, the description of 1 new species and 2 new combinations enhanced with many technical drawings of all 9 species and 3 of those are also included in the main chapter with colour photographs. Another 23 new names, combinations and typification’s are presented in the genera Arachnis, Cleisocentron, Cleisostoma, Gastrochilus, Grosourdya, Holcoglossum, Pennilabium and Robiquetia, closing with nomenclatural changes in Amesiella. The final chapter to conclude this nicely illustrated book is an annotated check list of all vandoid orchid genera known to occur in Asia including those tentatively accepted pending the outcome of a comprehensive reanalyses of the subtribe Aeridinae with 'Next Generation Sequencing' molecular technologies. Among the more than 240 quality colour photos are some of the rarest species of vandaceous orchids to occur in Asia. This quality book is a must have for all plant species enthusiasts and anyone with an interest or passion for the vandaceous orchids. ISBN 978-0-9876206-4-4 Soft Cover, Full Colour, 200 pages: 3
