Wild Orchids of the Northeastern United States: A Field Guide

by Paul Martin Brown, Stan Folsom (Illustrator)

Overview

Wild orchids evoke a particular and sometimes addictive fascination among naturalists, botanists, and wildflower enthusiasts. With few exceptions, these singular plants cannot be moved and propagated successfully, and so, to ensure their survival, they must be protected and sought out in their native habitats. This definitive guide facilitates their discovery and enjoyment.*Covers all orchids growing wild in New England, New York, and adjacent areas of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.*Includes illustrated keys to the genera and species and a checklist of northeastern orchids.*Describes in alphabetical order 71 orchid species and varieties, with a drawing of each, and full information on more than 50 forms and hybrids.*Features 192 full-color photographs of the orchids in their native habitats, along with 71 distribution maps. *Suggests where to find the orchids.*Provides a bibliography and a glossary. *Bound with a durable cover for use in the field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801483417
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	05/15/1997
Series:	Comstock Book Series
Edition description:	REVISED
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Paul Martin Brown lives in Boston and leads botanical field trips throughout North America. He recently founded the North American Native Orchid Journal and is now at work on a field guide to the orchids of the Northwest. Stan Folsom also lives in Boston and is retired after thirty-eight years of teaching art. His work, which has been widely displayed, includes several paintings in the permanent collection of the Federal Reserve Bank.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

An attractively bound handbook suitable for field use.

Editorial Reviews

"An attractively bound handbook suitable for field use."

"Brown, who is now at work on a field guide to the orchids of the Northwest, begins this definitive guide to orchids of the Northeast with a chapter on where and when to find these captivating flowers. He continues with information on identifying the various genera and follows with a list—in alphabetical order—of 71 orchid species and varieties, with a drawing of each, along with data on 50 hybrids. Each listing contains a detailed description of the orchid, its habitat, blooming dates, measurements, and abundance (rare to frequent), and a map showing where the species can be found. There are 192 lavish color photographs, 94 black-and-white drawings by Stan Folsom, a state-by-state checklist, and a glossary."

"First class—the best field guide to the Northeast, with just about everything one needs!"

From the Publisher

Brown (founder of the North American Native Orchid Journal) provides a guide to 71 orchid species and varieties found growing wild in New England, New York, and adjacent areas of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with an emphasis on distribution and tips for locating flowering colonies. He describes several orchid "hotspots"e.g., The Northeast Kingdom (Vermont) and the Route 128 arc around Bostonincluding such unusual habitats as bogs and sand/gravel excavations near roads, which support certain orchid species. This book would be a natural for libraries in the region, but librarians may wish to compare it with William Chapman's Orchids of the Northeast (Syracuse Univ., 1996). Weeds of the Northeast is a more specialized reference to 298 species of weeds in agriculture, nurseries, gardens, turf areas, landscapes, and roadways. Entries detail the appearance of seedling and mature plants, flowers and fruits, habitat, distribution, and similar species. Special features include identification keys based on characteristics such as thorns, milky sap, and type of leaf; a dichotomous key to all described species; a grass identification table; and comparison tables for easily confused species. This book would certainly be valuable for identifying weeds in the region defined as Maine south to Virginia and west to Ohio and Wisconsin, but it does not provide guidance for controlling or eliminating them. Recommended for comprehensive gardening collections or botanical/agricultural libraries.Beth Clewis Crim, Prince William P.L., Va.

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