Henrik Ærenlund Pedersen – författare

Comprehensive photographic guide to the orchids of the region written by leading experts, who between them have decades of orchid field and research experience. The book covers orchids from Europe and the Mediterranean, extending to Turkey and the immediate near east of North Africa and Macaronesia.Many guides to orchids of this region exist, but in this completely revised second edition, the authors have drawn on the latest scientific research to bring clarity to orchid identification and names, with an emphasis on the natural variability that exists in many wild species. With over 2000 colour photographs, and new images in the second edition, the book provides the reader with an accessible and easy to use identification guide to the natural variability seen in these orchids. The book covers 32 genera and their species.

A beautiful, richly illustrated book on Europe’s wild orchids – perhaps the most enigmatic and popular group in the botanical world. The orchid family (Orchidaceae), numbering some 25,000 species, is one of the world’s two largest families of flowering plants. Whilst the vast majority of orchids are found in the wet tropics, Europe accommodates c.130 native orchid species which are equally arranged in dense inflorescences of great beauty. Furthermore, the adaptations encountered in some of the European species are just as fascinating as those of their tropical relatives.This book provides an introduction to the native orchids of Europe. It features four sections: ‘Structure and systematics’, ‘Orchids and the environment’, ‘Orchid portraits’ and ‘How to learn more’. This part constitutes the bulk of the book, presenting individual genera in a sequence which reflects their most likely evolutionary relationships. Each genus is introduced by one page of text and illustrated by one or more colour plates on the following pages. The text gives information on how to recognise the genus, where it is distributed, and the estimated number of species it contains – alongside information on the range of environmental requirements and flowering times in the European species. Depending on the genus, additional information may be found on topics such as pollination biology, associated fungi, evolutionary relationships or systematic problems.Beautiful watercolour artwork accompanies the text, making this an indispensable gift for anyone interested in the natural world. Not only is it a useful field guide, it is also a beautiful art book.