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Dendrobium species are attractive, conspicuous and numerous along the entire eastern coast of Australia, and are popular plants for culture and breeding of colourful hybrids. In contrast to the other books in the series so far, where a selection of species was made, all Australian species and their variants (around 80) are included. There is a full spectrum of plant form from some of the smallest mat-forming dendrobiums to the largest in the genus, being over two metres tall and several metres across. The unusual and rarer species of Cape York Peninsula and central Queensland are uncommon in collections and seldom seen, requiring travel to remote places. Some of the most striking Dendrobium habitats are illustrated.
There have been a number of approaches to the classification of Dendrobium and related genera over the past 30 years. Classification and nomenclature are always evolving as new information becomes available. Genera Orchidacearum Volume 6 (2014) included evidence from morphology, DNA and all other areas of study and provided an international consensus for Dendrobium, bringing a long-awaited degree of stability to the genus. This book follows the Genera Orchidacearum Vol. 6 approach and the Kew Monocot Checklist, and considers all available published evidence on the genus. An identification key to the sections is provided, and species are arranged in a checklist according to sections.
The terrestrial orchids of Victoria are reputed to attract pollinators by deception and the highly specialised strategies used were well covered in Orchid Pollinators of Victoria, 4th edition. The nectar-rewarding orchid pollinators received only basic treatment and are elaborated on in this companion volume. Initial observations indicated different aspects to orchid-insect relationships and this deserved more attention. Orchids that have food-rewards attract a greater variety of visitors, but these include non-pollinating or pollinia-robbing insects. To compensate for losses a large number of flowers are needed on the same plant, but these are often cross-pollinated and geitonogamy is common. The various strategies have evolved from adapting to environmental changes to sustain populations, each of which producing ample viable seeds for eventually some to become adult plants. Nectariferous orchids may be the least specialised of the Victorian taxa, readily adapting to changes that occur at a natural rate, but they are far from being safe. Habitats in the few areas left since colonisation are changing too quickly, and deteriorating at an alarming rate. Destruction of ecosystems continues, critically reducing the suitable orchid habitats by clearing and logging. This is accelerated by prescribed burning and many of the endangered species are driven to extinction.
There is so much to learn about the world of orchids and the role which insects play in the pollination of such highly evolved plants. Orchids and insects are constantly under attack by the human race – ruining their environment – clearing and burning habitats, and the overuse of insecticides. Without the wasps, bees and flies we would not exist and they should be valued like all other wild creatures for the protection of habitats, and realise the importance of their diversity. To observe the pollinators in action it is essential to have a good understanding of nature, be familiar with the insects, and be very patient. The intriguing role insects play in orchid pollination is documented in this book. With more than 1,300 superb images it will give the insects the appreciation they deserve, even if they may bite or sting.
Victoria’s Cryptic Orchids is a comprehensive guide to selected terrestrial genera and comprises species that usually blend in exceptionally well with their surroundings. It includes the Beard, Elbow, Onion, Midge, Duck, Horned, Tongue, Fringed Hare, Mosquito, Gnat, Bird and Helmet Orchids. As their vernacular name implies, flowers feature unusual looks and may have an intriguing insect-like appearance. Their looks serve to go unnoticed, but they emit a special scent for their specific pollinators to find them. Flowering times of the various species are in tune with the flying times of their particular insect pollinators, combined with best suited environmental conditions. Most Victorian orchids flower only briefly during a specific time of a season, but at any time of the year a particular cryptic orchid may be in flower.
The colourful terrestrial orchids of Victoria flower from Spring over Summer. We can admire the many yellow or purple blooms of the Diuris from late Spring, whilst the mostly pink Dipodium hyacinth-orchids are Summer flowering. The magnificent blue, pink or yellow coloured Thelymitra sun-orchids show over Spring and Summer, and with numerous flowers on a spike the Prasophyllum leek-orchids from Spring to the end of Summer.
This book is an extensively illustrated guide covering nearly 100 taxa with about 1150 images. It compliments the books Victoria’s Cryptic Orchids, Victoria’s Spider Orchids, Victoria’s Small Caladenias and Victoria’s Greenhoods and Rustyhoods – and completes the series.
First published in 1990, Plant Life of Western Australia grew out of a project between Department of Geography at the University of Western Australia and the author, the Foundation Director of the Botanic Garden at Kings Park, Perth. Dr Beard established a project known as the Vegetation Survey of Western Australia which aimed at mapping the plant cover of the entire state.
A series of Vegetation Maps was produced and the project was finally completed in 1981. About 200,000 km were covered by vehicle in 17 years. Dr Beard acquired an unrivalled knowledge of the landscapes and their plant cover over the whole immense area of Western Australia.
The history and other features of the area have been written about in books and other publications. Yet a colourful, rarely mentioned chapter still visible today, are the trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses that grace the slopes and valley floors of the Ranges. These plants have provided the people of the land, the Adnyamathanha, with plentiful food, medicine, craft and hardware supplies for thousands of years.
With the help of the Adnyamathanha people, the story of the plants is told in this book. Many of the stories are interwoven in the Muda (Dreaming), and today, the plants are still growing and are indeed harvested for traditional tribal use as well as sustenance. Adnyamathanha and beyond – useful plants of an ancient land fills a gap in previous works written about the Flinders Ranges.
This book is complete with botanical descriptions and illustrations of many plants, as well as photographs depicting the unique landscapes of the region. Importantly, the book also features language and cultural input by the local Adnyamathanha people.
This is a rare treat for lovers of our bushland, native trees and native plant ecology as well as being a text book
about Sheoak timber for fuel, art, craft and its role in the landscape today as well as in the past.
This great diversity is showcased and brought to life through fascinating examples, beautiful illustrations and clear, explanatory diagrams.
Anyone with an interest in plants, or with more ecological or pharmacological inclinations, will be fascinated and engaged by this book.
This richly illustrated volume is the first complete atlas of coffee production in Ethiopia, birth-place of coffee drinking and the main home of wild arabica coffee (Coffea arabica). Around 15 million Ethiopians are coffee farmers, and Ethiopia is Africa’s largest coffee producer and one of the most important coffee-growing regions of the world, renowned for its diversity of flavour profiles, including those of the celebrated coffees of Harar, Limu, Sidamo, and Yirgacheffe.
The aim of the Coffee Atlas of Ethiopia is to inform the reader about the coffee landscape of Ethiopia. It shows where coffee is grown, where the natural coffee forests are located, and where coffee could be grown. The atlas maps are accompanied by information on coffee farming, environment and climate, and a description of the main coffee areas. Also included in the atlas are key coffee origins, coffee towns and coffee delivery centres, as well as other useful items. The atlas can be used to assess the potential and vulnerability for coffee farming in Ethiopia, as well as provide a logistics resource for the coffee sector and those otherwise working with, or interested in, coffee. It is also an essential reference for resource managers.
Nothing brings life to a room like a plant. And science suggests that they’re good for us too, lifting our moods and making us healthier. But if your office is bare, your home lacking green — where do you start?
Get Plants can help. Designed for beginners and those who don’t think of themselves as gardeners, it’s an accessible illustrated guide to bringing plants into your life. Katherine Price draws on the latest knowledge from Kew Gardens about cultivation and horticulture to show you how to make use of the different ecological niches in and around your home, from a shady basement stairwell to the sunniest of south-facing windowsills.
Exciting contemporary photography shows how plants can pep up your living space. From growing trees from seed to keeping your bromeliads topped up with water, Get Plants helps you understand what plants need and why — and what they can do for your living and working space.
Don’t be intimidated by gardening any more — open up Get Plants and get your green thumb working!