The Orchid in Lore and Legend

by Luigi Berliocchi

Overview

The orchid is the most evocative of flowers, inspiring in some of its admirers a fanaticism akin to madness, as demonstrated in Susan Orlean's popular novel The Orchid Thief. This elegant survey of the orchid treats its place in legend and suggests the impact that these exotic plants had on the temperate European mind. Berliocchi chronicles the adventurers and scientists who introduced these marvels, discusses their place in the arts from literature and magic to cuisine, and concludes with accounts of the most important genera and their cultivation. Splendidly illustrated with period engravings and botanical paintings, it is literate and delightful.

This book is only available through print on demand. All interior art is black and white.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780881926163
Publisher:	Timber Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	03/01/2010
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.06(w) x 9.06(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

Luigi Berliocchi (1953-1999) was a lecturer in garden history at the University of Reggio Calabria. He also wrote the text for Vanished Gardens of Rome as well as a study of the origin and history of Mediterranean plants and their presence in art.

Table of Contents

	Foreword	7
	Preface	9
Chapter 1	Myths and Legends	13
Chapter 2	From Prehistory to History	27
	Prehistory	27
	Antiquity in the East	28
	Antiquity in the West	32
	Modern History	39
Chapter 3	Patrons and Hunters	57
Chapter 4	Arts and Customs	87
	Literature	88
	Art	94
	Magic	98
	Religion	104
	Medicine	106
	Edible Orchid Products	108
Chapter 5	The Plant	115
	Habitat	115
	Plant Structure and Behavior	120
Chapter 6	The Genera	131
	Cattleya	131
	Cymbidium	134
	Dendrobium	137
	Epidendrum and Encyclia	139
	Laelia	140
	Miltonia and Miltoniopsis	142
	Odontoglossum	144
	Oncidium	146
	Paphiopedilum and Other Slipper Orchids	148
	Phalaenopsis	150
	Vanda	152
	European Orchids	154
Chapter 7	Growing Orchids	161
	Sources	173
	Index of Orchids	179

Editorial Reviews

Period color plates, black-and-white illustrations, and woodcuts enhance this wonderfully entertaining book.” —Library Journal

“Berliocchi’s perceptive and richly descriptive narrative is certain to please orchid lovers, and will most likely spark the interest of those who have yet to discover these fascinating flowers.” —Booklist

“Berliocchi’s comprehensive handbook is both elegantly written and enriching.” —Publishers Weekly

“Exquisite botanical illustrations complement the definitive text.” —Country Living Gardener

“An authority on orchids. . . . provides nice thumbnail biographies of the major collectors and botanists who brought orchids from the tropics.” —Garden Gazette

“An utterly fascinating survey of orchids.” —Washington Daily News

“This is a very delightful, readable book.” —National Gardener

“This book, which spans every aspect of the plant from literary associations to care and cultivation, is a love letter to a genus from a man clearly passionately obsessed.” —Gardens Illustrated

“There has been no better book than this on the extraordinary story of the orchid.” —The Washington Post

“This is an amply researched and richly descriptive cornucopia of orchid lore.” —American Herb Association Quarterly Newsletter

“It is a quick, yet satisfying initiation, a brisk walk through a museum that leaves one acquainted, if a little breathless, with an amazing collection of lovely plants.” —Journal of the New England Garden History Society

From the Publisher

Berliocchi (1953-1999), former lecturer in garden history at the University of Reggio Calabria, Italy, presents a lively history of orchids, including myths and legends, their uses from prehistory to modern times, patrons and hunters, arts and customs, the plants' habitat and structure, descriptions of the genera, and basic culture. Fine period color plates and b&w illustrations throughout. A translation from Italian of , 1996, Nuovi Equilibri, Viterbo, Italy. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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