New book - The Scent of Orchids by Dr. Roman Kaiser

[astrid]

Hey everyone!!

For those of you interested in the science behind orchid scents, this is a wonderful book. I am just in love with Dr. Kaiser's work!!

This 280 page book details his experimental method to extract scent moluecules from all sorts of flowers without harming the flower. It allows him to study and recreate the scents of endangered species without harming their numbers.

The book describes the types of orchids by their pollinators: those pollinated by moths, those pollinated by flies (stinky bulbophyllums and so on), and those pollinated by bees.

He describes the characteristics of orchid scents, and the book contains many many gorgeous full-color photos of the orchids he has studied.

The book doesn't discuss intergeneric orchids; I believe he mainly focused on species found in nature.

If you're a science nerd with a bit of a chemistry background, this book will certainly tickle your fancy- maybe even your nose!

It is $180-280 retail, so it is best to borrow this book in the library. The author is Swiss, so I am sure German language versions are available.