With some 20,000 fragrant orchids available today, orchid lovers of all levels will delight in this unique approach to selecting new and exciting varieties of fragrant orchids. Profiles of more than 100 orchids and 355 varieties include cultivation information and detailed notes on each fragrance. This first-ever guide will help gardeners choose, grow, and showcase orchids with the right look and most enjoyable scents.

The acclaimed actress and legendary singer, Yamaguchi Yoshiko (aka Li Xianglan, 1920-2014), emerged from Japan-occupied Manchuria to become a transnational star during the Second Sino-Japanese war. Born to Japanese parents, raised in Manchuria, and educated in Beijing, the young Yamaguchi learned to speak impeccable Mandarin Chinese and received professional training in operatic singing. When recruited by the Manchurian Film Association in 1939 to act in "national policy" films in the service of Japanese imperialism in China, she allowed herself to be presented as a Chinese, effectively masking her Japanese identity in both her professional and private lives. Yamaguchi soon became an unprecedented transnational phenomenon in Manchuria, Shanghai, and Japan itself as the glamorous female lead in such well-known films as Song of the White Orchid (1939), China Nights (1940), Pledge in the Desert (1940), and Glory to Eternity (1943). Her signature songs, including "When Will You Return?" and "The Evening Primrose," swept East Asia in the waning years of the war and remained popular well into the postwar decades. Ironically, although her celebrated international stardom was without parallel in wartime East Asia, she remained a puppet within a puppet state, choreographed at every turn by Japanese film studios in accordance with the expediencies of Japan's continental policy. In a dramatic turn of events after Japan's defeat, she was placed under house arrest in Shanghai by the Chinese Nationalist forces and barely escaped execution as a traitor to China. Her complex and intriguing life story as a convenient pawn, willing instrument, and tormented victim of Japan's imperialist ideology is told in her bestselling autobiography, translated here in full for the first time in English. An addendum reveals her postwar career in Hollywood and Broadway in the 1950s, her friendship with Charlie Chaplin, her first marriage to Isamu Noguchi, and her postwar life as singer, actress, political figure, television celebrity, and private citizen. A substantial introduction by Chia-ning Chang contextualizes Yamaguchi's life and career within the historical and cultural zeitgeist of wartime Manchuria, Japan, and China and the postwar controversies surrounding her life in East Asia.

The Infinitely Varied Orchid Family provides a never-ending source of unusual plants in a range of shapes, colors, fragrances, and sizes. As the demand for interesting and unusual species increases, so too does the need for a comprehensive reference on how to grow them. This encyclopedia, written by respected botanist Isobyl la Croix, offers detailed descriptions of 1500 cultivated species in 350 genera from Acampe to Zygostates. More than 1000 photographs will aid enthusiasts in choosing new plants for their collections as well as provide accurate ID.

Longlisted for the 2023 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award A kaleidoscopic journey into the world of nature’s most tantalizing flower, and the lives it has inspired. The epitome of floral beauty, orchids have long fostered works of art, tales of adventure, and scientific discovery. Tenacious plant hunters have traversed continents to collect rare specimens; naturalists and shoguns have marveled at orchids’ seductive architecture; royalty and the smart set have adorned themselves with their allure. In Orchid Muse, historian and home grower Erica Hannickel gathers these bold tales of the orchid-smitten throughout history, while providing tips on cultivating the extraordinary flowers she features. Consider Empress Eugenie and Queen Victoria, the two most powerful women in nineteenth-century Europe, who shared a passion for Coelogyne cristata, with its cascading, fragrant white blooms. John Roebling, builder of the Brooklyn Bridge, cultivated thousands of orchids and introduced captivating hybrids. Edmond Albius, an enslaved youth on an island off the coast of Madagascar, was the first person to hand-pollinate Vanilla planifolia, leading to vanilla’s global boom. Artist Frida Kahlo was drawn to the lavender petals of Cattleya gigas and immortalized the flower’s wilting form in a harrowing self-portrait, while more recently Margaret Mee painted the orchids she discovered in the Amazon to advocate for their conservation. The story of orchidomania is one that spans the globe, transporting readers from the glories of the palace gardens of Chinese Empress Cixi to a seedy dime museum in Gilded Age New York’s Tenderloin, from hazardous jungles to the greenhouses and bookshelves of Victorian collectors. Lush and inviting, with radiant full-color illustrations throughout, Orchid Muse is the ultimate celebration of our enduring fascination with these beguiling flowers.

The perfect guide to these beautiful and evocative plants, covering all 52 British and Irish species. The orchid family is one of the largest plant families in the world, reaching its highest diversity in the tropics where their exotic and colourful flowers are often truly breathtaking. Britain and Ireland have just 52 species of wild orchid, some of which are rare or scarce, whilst others are surprisingly inconspicuous. Yet, whether large or small, all orchids share flamboyant flower structures and incredible beauty. This pocket guide allows the identification of all species of orchid in the British Isles. It has concise text highlighting ID criteria as well as notes on biology, habitat and conservation, along with stunning colour photographs and accurate range maps based on maps compiled by the Biological Record Centre. This book provides the perfect guide to these beautiful and evocative plants, and is a must for any field naturalist. Part of the Pocket Guides series covering British and European wildlife, including garden birds, butterflies, insects, wild flowers, trees and shrubs and tracks and signs.

“Clear, informative text. It is a superb production, reminding us of the astonishing diversity of these plants.” —Times Literary Supplement One in every seven flowering plants on earth is an orchid. Yet orchids retain an air of exotic mystery—and they remain remarkably misunderstood and underappreciated. The orchid family contains an astonishing array of colors, forms, and smells that captivate growers from all walks of life across the globe. Though undeniably elegant, the popular moth orchid—a grocery store standard—is a bland stand-in when compared with its thousands of more complex and fascinating brethren, such as the Demon Queller, which grows in dark forests where its lovely blooms are believed to chase evil forces away. Or the Fetid Sun-God, an orchid that lures female flies to lay their eggs on its flowers by emitting a scent of rancid cheese. The Book of Orchids revels in the diversity and oddity of these beguiling plants. Six hundred of the world’s most intriguing orchids are displayed, along with life-size photographs that capture botanical detail, as well as information about distribution, peak flowering period, and each species’ unique attributes, both natural and cultural. With over 28,000 known species, the orchid family is the largest and most geographically widespread of the flowering plant families. Including the most up-to-date science and accessibly written by botanists Mark Chase, Maarten Christenhusz, and Tom Mirenda, each entry in The Book of Orchids will entice researchers and orchid enthusiasts alike. “A luscious coffee-table tome.” —Nature

This is a 2016 revised version of this popular, highly-0 rated, but out-of-print book. Some of the most intriguing orchids are those classified as miniatures - plants that range from just an inch or two in height to a maximum of 12 inches. Steven Frowine profiles more than 300 of these gems, including representatives of some of the most popular genera. Entries include information on the plant's geographic or hybrid origin; details about the flowers; bloom season; mature size and habit; ease of culture; light and temperature requirements; recommended potting medium; history; and tips for success. The author's high-quality photographs make identification a snap and provide welcome help when you're selecting plants for your collection.

Cattleyas, first introduced in 1818, are the flowers whose form and color defined the essence of tropical orchids for generations to come. This helpful and informative book—for veteran orchid enthusiasts and beginners alike—describes each classic Cattleya species in fascinating detail and includes all that is required to appreciate and grow cattleyas successfully.

When Zoe Devlin was shown a wild orchid by a relative, the late Dr Kathleen Lynn, it sparked a lifelong interest in wildflowers. Here is Zoe's personal record of the wildflowers that adorn Ireland's countryside, presented so those without botanical knowledge can gain a greater understanding of the subject. Passionate about this often-overlooked part of our natural heritage, Zoe embellishes descriptions and photographs of the plants with herbal and literary references and related Irish folklore. She describes over 400 commonly found wildflowers as well as some not so-common and even rare species. This book creates a new awareness and wider picture of the world of wildflowers in Ireland. In presenting this book, Zoe Devlin says: 'Conservation of our wildflowers is of the utmost importance as they are now facing threats on several different sides', and she expresses a hope that 'through education and awareness of the diversity of our wildflowers, perhaps, just perhaps, the tide can be held back a little longer.' Zoe Devlin on Yellow-rattle: ...I first recorded this species in 1976 at Rossadillisk, County Galway. The plants were flowering in a beautiful old meadow by the sea, jostling for space among a number of other wildflowers, all crowded together, their heads swaying and tossing in the breeze. The hidden Corncrakes were calling 'Crex Crex' and it seemed as if time had passed it by altogether. It was both a sight and a feeling I shall never forget ...

An accessible, comprehensive and beautifully illustrated guide--the only one to cover all the orchids found in Britain and Ireland Covering more than fifty species as well as hybrids and variants, this is an engaging, intuitive and in-depth identification guide to all the orchids of Britain and Ireland at all stages of development, from first emergence through to setting seed. Drawing on the authors' extensive field experience and the latest scientific research, Britain's Orchids uses multiple techniques to help both beginner and more advanced orchid enthusiasts to identify even the trickiest plants. The book is beautifully illustrated with plates by talented artist Sarah Stribbling as well as more than 1,000 detailed, instructive and evocative photographs by the authors. Orchids have long fired the imagination with their beauty and rarity. This book aims to ignite or increase your passion for these special plants and for the conservation of their habitats, from remote mountaintops to urban wild spaces. The first book to cover all the species, subspecies and varieties, as well as hybrids, at all stages of development Lavishly illustrated with close to 100 stunning plates drawn to scale to show key identification features and more than 1,000 stunning photo showing orchids in their natural settings Simple, step-by-step system for identifying almost any orchid Up-to-date distribution maps and seasonal charts showing when each species can be seen in its various stages Special-feature identification keys that can be used on difficult plants