The Bahamian and Caribbean Species (Cattleyas & Their Relatives)

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About The Bahamian And Caribbean Species

Product description Cattleyas are frequently called "the Queen of the Orchids," and Carl Withner's passion for them started before World War II. About 12 years ago he published the first in this series of six books, which now comes to a conclusion with this final volume. The South American Encyclia species have not previously been the subject of a book, and the genus presents many problems and difficulties. A few of the species are known from a single herbarium specimen and may well now be extinct because of the continuing loss of habitat. This volume also includes taxonomic and nomenclatural changes affecting species covered in the earlier volumes, as well as additions and changes to the text of each of the five volumes. Review "Richly documented and illustrated, with many reproductions and line drawings of historical valor, it covers the fifty Cattleya species."—Tropical Biology Review, 1998 Book Description First announced ten years ago as "A Book in Six Parts," this monumental series is now almost complete. Although Cattleya is the best-known genus, other rewards & mysteries are to be found here-why, for example, Laelia should occur in Mexico & Central America & in Brazil, but not in Colombia & Venezuela linking the two regions. The latest book in this important series on cattleyas & their relatives is the largest volume yet, documenting 70 species in 15 genera, including Brassavola, very popular among growers, & continuing the discussion of Encyclia begun with the Caribbean species in Volume IV. About the Author In 1990 Withner was granted the American Orchid Society's highest award, the Gold Medal, to honor his distinguished achievement in science and education. In 1996 the Orchid Digest Corporation awarded him its highest accolade, the Silver Medal for meritorious service to the orchid world. Dr. Withner lives in Bellingham, Washington, where he remains much occupied with orchid research, writing, and work with orchid societies. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. As I delved among the South American species with these two characteristics — the anther cap color and the protuberances — I ran into one problem after another. I ended up with a large group of synonyms for a species that was first named Epidendrum amictum in 1855, predating all the other names and having therefore the priority of epithet for this species. Not all may agree with this choice, and some, including myself, will choose to keep some of the species of this complex as separate entities. Such species are described on other pages under Encyclia conchaechila, Enc. leucantha, and Enc. thrombodes. If we consider all these closely related forms together, the complex has a major distribution in South America, though local populations may differ in some details. Encyclia linearfoliodes continues to be a debatable synonym, and Fowlie and Duveen (1992) describe it as having an anther cap with spots that can look like eyes, a minutely notched lip, and white flowers 2 cm in diameter or less. We can also wonder what might be different about the pollinator of these plants. Ordinarily the anther cap of an Encyclia species is white, greenish, or sometimes yellow, and dark colored types such as these deep maroon caps are unusual. Since the base of the lip tends to be covered with short, dense, almost microscopic hairs, especially on the forcipate keels, and since the midlobe is characterized as having distinctly raised and verrucose veins, the lip is also distinctive. Furthermore, the lateral lobes tend to be somewhat elongated and clasp tightly about the column.