Angraecoid Orchids – Species of the African Region
By Joyce Stewart, Johan Hermans and Bob Campbell – (2006)
431 pages; matt art paper, 294 colour photos, 59 monochrome illustrated plates & 1 map.
Hard Cover: 27cm x 19.4cm.
ISBN: 978-0-88192-788-7
Timber Press
For anyone with an interest in Vandaceous orchids or indeed the orchids of Africa, Madagascar and surrounding islands, this book should most definitely be in your library. In this monumental effort, an identification guide and culture manual, the authors accept 690 species in 47 genera from the African Malagasy region, all of which are covered in the book.
The opening pages deal with history, the botanists and naturalists whom have and are still working with the angraecoid orchids, what defines an angraecoid orchid and morphological characters, distribution and culture.
From here the book is dived into four main chapter, the first on the largest genus of this alliance theAngraecum; second chapter deals with the remaining genera of the subtribe Angraecinae; the third chapter deals with the genus Aerangis and the fourth chapter with the remaining genera and species of the subtribe Aerangidinae.
The genus Angraecum is dealt with in sections based mainly on the work of Garay (1972) and dived further into regions. All remaining genera in the last three chapters are dealt with via region only. Each genus has a brief historical introduction, a general description of the genus, species numbers and distribution. This is followed by cultural notes. No nomenclatural or type data is provided for the genera or species. Each species has its botanical name and author, a good physical plant and flower description, notes on habit and habitat, distribution and closing with any miscellaneous observations.
Overall, this is an extremely useful book and even though only about 40% of the species are illustrated with the excellent photos of Campbell and Hermans, this is the one stop shop of information on these incredible orchids and is an essential reference for anyone with an interest in or who might be working on these types of orchids and or for any nature lover in general.
Rod Rice
Principal Reviewer
Nature & Travel Books