Download or read book The Orchid Thief written by Susan Orlean and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2011-07-20 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK A modern classic of personal journalism, The Orchid Thief is Susan Orlean’s wickedly funny, elegant, and captivating tale of an amazing obsession. Determined to clone an endangered flower—the rare ghost orchid Polyrrhiza lindenii—a deeply eccentric and oddly attractive man named John Laroche leads Orlean on an unforgettable tour of America’s strange flower-selling subculture, through Florida’s swamps and beyond, along with the Seminoles who help him and the forces of justice who fight him. In the end, Orlean—and the reader—will have more respect for underdog determination and a powerful new definition of passion. In this new edition, coming fifteen years after its initial publication and twenty years after she first met the “orchid thief,” Orlean revisits this unforgettable world, and the route by which it was brought to the screen in the film Adaptation, in a new retrospective essay. Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more. Praise for The Orchid Thief “Stylishly written, whimsical yet sophisticated, quirkily detailed and full of empathy . . . The Orchid Thief shows [Orlean’s] gifts in full bloom.”—The New York Times Book Review “Fascinating . . . an engrossing journey [full] of theft, hatred, greed, jealousy, madness, and backstabbing.”—Los Angeles Times “Orlean’s snapshot-vivid, pitch-perfect prose . . . is fast becoming one of our national treasures.”—The Washington Post Book World “Orlean’s gifts [are] her ear for the self-skewing dialogue, her eye for the incongruous, convincing detail, and her Didion-like deftness in description.”—Boston Sunday Globe “A swashbuckling piece of reporting that celebrates some virtues that made America great.”—The Wall Street Journal

Download or read book An Enthusiasm for Orchids written by John Alcock and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The male thynnine wasp's extreme sexual enthusiasm is crucial to reproduction of hammer orchids in the wild. Hammer orchids have co-evolved to produce odors identical to those manufactured by female thynnine wasps. The male wasp's superb sensitivity to the scent of his female mate is the basis for the hammer orchid's deceit--in effect, orchids exploit the male insect's highly adaptive sense of smell for their own propagation. While pollinating orchids is a waste of time, and thus a maladaptive activity for a wasp, his mistake comes about because he must react quickly whenever he senses a possible mate nearby. Alcock suggests that, "for insects, he who hesitates is lost, although perhaps it would be better to say that he who hesitates often loses a chance to pass on his genes." This book abounds with clever explanations for how these exceptionally complex flowers came to be shaped as they are. The reader can explore many aspects of orchid biology and history ranging from how some species avoid inbreeding, to the origins of orchids from an ancestor that belonged to the asparagus family. Examining each component of an orchid's flower, Alcock explains how the various parts work together to produce the plant's minute offspring. Each element of an orchid, as quirky as it may seem, is biologically significant, bearing the imprint of natural selection. Readers can share in the delight that Darwin and all other orchid enthusiasts have felt in making sense of even the smallest of details of these most wonderful plants.

Download or read book The Orchid Hunter written by Leif Bersweden and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2018-04-12 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: He has just a few months to complete his quest – no one has ever done it before within one growing season – and it will require ingenuity, stamina and a large dose of luck.As he battles the vagaries of the British climate, feverishly chasing each emerging bloom, Leif Bersweden takes the reader on a remarkable botanical journey.This study of the 52 native species is a fantastic gateway into the compendious world of orchids – one that will open your eyes to the rare hidden delights to be found on our doorstep.Like Two Owls at Eton and My Family and Other Animals, The Orchid Hunter is a charming account of a precocious adolescent’s obsession with the natural world.Leif’s enthusiasm for his quest is infectious, as is the quiet conviction with which he keeps at it, showing how plant hunting can be the ultimate mindful activity.

Download or read book Orchids of Indiana written by Michael Allison Homoya and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Orchids enchant us as few other plants do, yet most people know surprisingly little about what may be the largest plant family on earth. A case in point: how many would have guessed that only three species of orchids occur naturally in Hawaii, while Indiana has forty-three? In this handsome and comprehensive volume, Michael Homoya gives us an inside look at Indiana's wild orchids, detailing their distinguishing characteristics, habitat preferences, and state and continental ranges. With over 100 color plates and scientific illustrations complementing the text and depicting each orchid as it occurs in Indiana's landscape, Orchids of Indiana will delight naturalists and orchid lovers everywhere.

Download or read book Native Orchids of the Southern Appalachian Mountains written by Stanley L. Bentley and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2014-03-19 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This authoritative guide showcases the unmatched beauty and diversity of the native orchids of the southern Appalachian mountains. Based on Stanley Bentley's many years of nature study, it covers the 52 species--including one discovered by Bentley and named after him--found in a region encompassing western Virginia and North Carolina and eastern West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The entry for each orchid provides the plant's scientific and common names, a description of the flower (including color, shape, and size), and information on the time of flowering, range, and typical habitat, all in the context of the southern mountains. A range map accompanies each description, and Bentley's own superb photographs are an additional aid to identification. Using straightforward language yet incorporating the most up-to-date scientific information and nomenclature, the book will be welcomed by amateur naturalists or professional botanists looking for species in the field and by those who simply enjoy photographs of beautiful wildflowers.

Download or read book Orchid Modern written by Marc Hachadourian and published by Timber Press. This book was released on 2019-09-03 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “This beautiful book is useful for all of us, novice and experienced orchid lovers alike.” —Martha Stewart, author, entrepreneur, founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Add the vibrant colors and exotic blooms of orchids to your houseplant haven! It’s easier than you think with the help of Orchid Modern. Marc Hachadourian, the curator of the orchid collection at the New York Botanical Garden, shares his secrets to successfully growing these sometimes finicky houseplants. Besides the basics, you’ll learn his top 120 orchid picks for green and not-so-green thumbs. Ten inspirational, step-by-step projects, including terrariums, a wreath, and a kokedama, provide the confidence to make orchids a thriving, vivid part of your home’s signature style.

Download or read book Ortho s All about Orchids written by Elvin McDonald and published by Meredith Books. This book was released on 1999 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Covers selection, care, and propagation of easy care and new orchid varieties.

Download or read book The Book of Orchids written by Mark W. Chase and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2017-03-13 with total page 657 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of every seven flowering plants on earth is an orchid. Some are stunningly over the top; others almost inconspicuous. The Orchidaceae is the second most widely geographically distributed family, after the grasses, yet remains one of the least understood. This book will profile 600 species, representing the remarkable and unexpected diversity and complexity in the taxonomy and phylogeny of these beguiling plants, and the extraordinary means they have evolved in order to ensure the attraction of pollinators. Each species entry includes life-size photographs to capture botanical detail, as well as information on distribution, peak flowering period, and unique attributes--both natural and cultural. The result is a work which will attract and allure, much as the orchids themselves do.

Download or read book Sexy Orchids Make Lousy Lovers written by Marty Crump and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2009-11-15 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vampire bats that regurgitate blood for roosting buddies. Mosquitoes that filch honeydew droplets from ants. Reptiles that enforce chastity on their lovers with copulatory plugs. Capuchin monkeys that use millipede secretions as mosquito repellent. The natural world is full of unusual relationships, and negotiation between life-forms striving to survive is evolution at its most diverse, entertaining, and awe-inspiring. Picking up where her highly popular Headless Males Make Great Lovers left off, tropical field biologist Marty Crump takes us on another voyage of discovery into the world of unusual natural histories, this time focusing on extraordinary interactions involving animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria. Sexy Orchids Make Lousy Lovers& Other Unusual Relationships illuminates the ceaseless give-and-take between species. Occasionally, both interacting parties benefit, like when hornbills and dwarf mongooses hunt together for food. Other times, like when mites ride in hummingbirds’ nostrils to reach their next meal of nectar, one individual benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed. But sometimes one individual benefits at the expense of the other; you need only recall your last sinus infection to understand how that works. Throughout, Crump brings her trademark spunk and zest to these stories of intimate exchange. She introduces readers to penguins that babysit, pseudoscorpions that ride and mate under the wings of giant harlequin beetles, and parasitic fungi that bend insects to their will. A lively companion to Crump’s earlier work, Sexy Orchids Make Lousy Lovers& Other Unusual Relationships captures the bizarre and befuddling aspects of the behavior of animals, plants, and microbes. After this entertaining romp through the world of natural relationships, you’ll never look at an orchid the same way again.

Download or read book An Enthusiasm for Orchids written by John Alcock and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What constitutes an adaptation, how do complex adaptations come into being, and where do species with their special attributes come from? Alcock explores these questions, explaining why some biologists think they know what adaptations are and how they arise and what species are.--Résumé de l'éditeur.

Download or read book Conservation Methods for Terrestrial Orchids written by Nigel Swarts and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by world leaders in the field, this first ever comprehensive reference on terrestrial orchids concisely explains the procedures necessary for their conservation and restoration. It includes beautiful color illustrations, methods and techniques in the utilization of modern technology and case studies to illustrate key principles and success stories. It covers topics such as monitoring, approaches used for mycorrhizal isolation and culture, seed sowing techniques, soil baiting, symbiotic culture of terrestrial species, translocation of propagated plants, pollination, genetic approaches for orchid biology and conservation, innovations in alginate encapsulation of seed and mycorrhizal fungus, and more. With terrestrial orchids now among the worlds most threatened plants, the need for conservation is paramount. It will equip orchid biologists, botanists, conservationists, students, and hobbyists with the necessary methodologies to facilitate the conservation of this endangered group of orchids. Although the focus is on terrestrial orchids, the techniques described in this book can also be applied equally to epiphytic (tree) orchids. Key Features -Clearly and concisely explains the procedures necessary for terrestrial orchid conservation and restoration -Offers methods and techniques complete in their detail, utilization of modern technology, simplicity, and ease of application across species from different parts of the world -Provides stand-alone guidance in each chapter and collectively enables practitioners to undertake what were previously considered complex scientific procedures -Includes relevant case studies to illustrate key principles and success stories in orchid conservation, written by world leaders in orchid conservation practice and science -Relates many of the techniques and procedures to epiphytic orchids to increase the appeal of the book to all orchid conservationists

Download or read book Understanding Orchids written by William Cullina and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2004 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Featuring more than 200 color photographs, "Understanding Orchids" provides readers with easy-to-follow instructions for the orchids they would like to grow.

Download or read book The Scent of Scandal written by Craig Pittman and published by Florida History and Culture. This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2012 Florida Book Awards, Silver Medal for Florida Non-Fiction "FANTASTIC. If I did not know most of the main players I would have thought the author had a vivid and twisted imagination."--Paul Martin Brown, author of Wild Orchids of Florida "A fascinating true story of obsession, greed, and lust for the unobtainable. Reminds me a great deal of The Maltese Falcon. This rare flower is definitely the stuff that dreams are made of."--Ace Atkins, author of Devil's Garden and Infamous "Pittman has captured the extreme competition, unique characters, and general insanity that often typify the orchid world. The Scent of Scandal exemplifies how passion and profit can overrule common sense and the law."--Scott Steward, former associate editor, North American Native Orchid Journal After its Peruvian discovery in 2002, Phragmipedium kovachii became the rarest and most sought-after orchid in the world. Prices soared to $10,000 on the black market. Then one showed up at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, where every year more than 100,000 people visit. They come for the lush landscape on Sarasota Bay and for Selby's vast orchid collection, one of the most magnificent in the world. The collision between Selby's scientists and the smugglers of Phrag. Kovachii, a rare ladyslipper orchid hailed as the most significant and beautiful new species discovered in a century, led to search warrants, a grand jury investigation, and criminal charges. It made headlines around the country, cost the gardens hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations, and led to tremendous internal turmoil. Investigative journalist Craig Pittman unravels this tangled web to shine a spotlight on flaws in the international treaties governing trade in endangered wildlife--which may protect individual plants and animals in shipping but do little to halt the destruction of whole colonies in the wild. The Scent of Scandal unspools like a riveting mystery novel, stranger than anything in Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief or the film Adaptation. Pittman shows how some people can become so obsessed--with beauty, with profit, with fame--that they will ignore everything, even the law.

Download or read book The Orchid Review written by and published by . This book was released on 1895 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Complete Book of Orchid Growing written by Peter Black and published by Crown. This book was released on 1980 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Taylor s Guide to Orchids written by Judy White and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 1996 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes how to plan and maintain an indoor orchid garden, including selecting the right varieties, choosing the proper materials and tools, and protecting the flowers against diseases and insects.

Download or read book The Best Orchids for Indoors written by Charles Marden Fitch and published by Brooklyn Botanic Garden. This book was released on 2004 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a series The New York Times calls a "brilliant collection of gardening books." This manual is a goldmine of practical and inspirational information, and a great value too. Orchid lovers will delight in this guide to indoor cultivation. Fitch, a member of the who’s who of orchid specialists, presents the newest, most exciting, and most spectacular tropical varieties. Published in association with the American Orchid Society, this volume offers lots of helpful advice for making orchids thrive, as well as a comprehensive encyclopedia of different species. From the Brooklyn Botanic Garden series that The New York Times calls a “brilliant collection of gardening books.”