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“The orchids have been a splendid sport”—an alternative look at Charles Darwin's contribution to orchid biology
Author(s) -
Yam Tim Wing,
Arditti Joseph,
Cameron Kenneth M.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.3732/ajb.0900122
Subject(s) - biology , darwin (adl) , charles darwin , pollination , botany , ecology , darwinism , evolutionary biology , pollen , systems engineering , engineering
Charles Darwin's work with orchids and his thoughts about them are of great interest and not a little pride for those who are interested in these plants, but they are generally less well known than some of his other studies and ideas. Much has been published on what led to his other books and views. However, there is a paucity of information in the general literature on how Darwin's orchid book came about. This review will describe how The Various Contrivances by Which Orchids Are Fertilised by Insects came into being and will discuss the taxonomy of the orchids he studied. It also will concentrate on some of the less well‐known aspects of Darwin's work and observations on orchids—namely, rostellum, seeds and their germination, pollination effects, and resupination—and their influence on subsequent investigators, plant physiology, and orchid science.