As stated many times before the purpose of Orchid Biology, Reviews and Perspectives (OB) is to present reviews on all aspects of orchids. The aim is not to balance every volume, but to make a balanced and wide ranging presentation of orchids in the series as a whole. The chapters in this, the last volume of the series, range over a number of topics which were not covered before. Singapore is justly famed for its orchids. They can be seen on arrival (or dep- ture) in its modern, highly efficient and comfortable Changi Airport and on the way from it to town. Vanda Miss Joaquim, the first hybrid to come from Singapore became its National Flower. This natural hybrid can be seen on its currency, stamps, and public and private decorations. Many excellent breeders, starting with Prof. Eric Holttum who bred the first man made hybrid (Spathoglottis Primrose), produced numerous magnificent hybrids and won countless awards in Singapore and elsewhere. These hybrids served to enrich the country’s orchid mystique. In the opening chapter of this volume Dr. Teoh Eng Soon (Western style: Eng Soon Teoh), himself a prize winning orchid breeder, grower and author writes about some of the breeders who contributed to the Singapore orchid fame. Prof. Hans Fitting was one of the best known plant physiologists of his time. As a young man he studied the effects of pollen on orchid flowers.

Orchidaceae - Ponerorchis renzii.

This is the ultimate book on Singapore's national flower. Created as a hybrid in Singapore, by the woman horticulturalist whose name it bears, it was first formally described in 1893 by "Mad" Ridley, of Singapore's Botanic Gardens. Fifty years later it was one of the most famous orchids in the world, grown from Hawai'i to Barbados. Its popularity faltered in the 1950s, but in the 1980s it was selected as a symbol of Singapore. Its role in Singapore's national and horticultural life seems unlikely to diminish. This book is a repository of the relevant scientific, horticultural, and historical knowledge on Singapore's national flower.

Contributed articles with special reference to India.