Orchid Biology. Reviews and Perspectives. Volume 4. 1987. 17 black and white illustr. 27 line-drawings. 352 p. gr8vo.Cloth.

This volume is the fourth in a series presenting authoritative andbalanced scientific reviews of all aspects of the Orchidaceae. Itincludes articles on seven different topics - some of which have not been critically reviewed before - as well as an extensive appendix onorchid diseases. The opening chapter by a major contributor to orchidscience and horticulture traces the development of orchid cultivation inSoutheast Asia. Next is an article on patterns and processes in orchidevolution. Of the remaining chapters, one deals with pollinationmechanisms of orchids and their evolution, and the others cover orchidstomata, velamen (the unique tissue found in orchid roots), thedevelopment of pollen and accessory structures, and respiration. Theglossaries that accompany each chapter are a new feature. Like itspredecessors, this volume includes a valuable appendix on a topic ofinterest to growers. Information on orchid diseases is extremelyfragmented and scattered widely through the literature; the appendixin "Orchid Biology, IV" provides as complete a source of practicalinformation as possible. The authors have grouped diseases according tothe factors that cause them, arranging the diseases within each group inalphabetical order on the basis of common names as they appear in theliterature. For simplicity, uniformity, and clarity, diseasecharacteristics are given in the following format: name, distribution,cause, hosts, symptoms, control, general comments, and literature.