The Orchid in Lore and Legend

The orchid is the most evocative of flowers, inspiring in some of its admirers a fanaticism akin to madness, as demonstrated in Susan Orlean's popular novel The Orchid Thief. This elegant survey of the orchid treats its place in legend and suggests the impact that these exotic plants had on the temperate European mind. Berliocchi chronicles the adventurers and scientists who introduced these marvels, discusses their place in the arts from literature and magic to cuisine, and concludes with accounts of the most important genera and their cultivation. Splendidly illustrated with period engravings and botanical paintings, it is literate and delightful.

This book is only available through print on demand. All interior art is black and white.

Author: Luigi Berliocchi
Publisher: Timber Press (OR)
Published: 03/01/2010
Pages: 184
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.82lbs
Size: 8.98h x 6.10w x 0.49d
ISBN: 9780881926163

About the Author
Berliocchi, Luigi: - Luigi Berliocchi (1953-1999) was a lecturer in garden history at the University of Reggio Calabria. He also wrote the text for Vanished Gardens of Rome as well as a study of the origin and history of Mediterranean plants and their presence in art.