Slipper Orchids of Vietnam: With an Introduction to the Flora of Vietnam (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Monograph)

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Vietnam has a remarkable and diverse orchid flora that is still being explored and described. Orchids are the largest family in the flora and may exceed 1000 species with more being described every year as remoter areas are explored. They are found in every habitat from the coastal mangrove forests to the highest mountain peaks. The slipper orchids, a small but showy part of the flora, epitomise the exuberance of Vietnam's orchids and, at the same time, emphasise their vulnerability. Although almost half have been discovered within the past ten years, many of them are already threatened with extinction by the combined problems of forest destruction and commercial collecting. This book details the geology, climate and vegetation of Vietnam in all its remarkable diversity. The main text provides comprehensive accounts of the history, nomenclature and relationships of each of the 22 slipper orchid species and natural hybrids found within the country. It also provides the first detailed accounts of their habitats, biology and ecology. On a more urgent note it also highlights the imminent threat of extinction faced by many of them. Further urgent measures are necessary both within Vietnam and abroad to protect what remains. The results of the authors' field studies, detailed here for the first time in a popular book, provide a unique insight into the rich flora of Vietnam where so many of the orchids are found. This book is a significant contribution to our understanding of plant diversity in Vietnam and to the threats to it. The richness of Vietnam's biological diversity is only now becoming apparent. This book will enthral the reader with its descriptions of Vietnam, its unique environment, its rich flora and its endemic plants. It will also serve to alert all of us to the dangers that threaten its unique heritage.

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