The Paphinia Book, by Rudolf Jenny. Printed for the Author by Imprenta Mariscal, Quito, Ecuador, 2018
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The Paphinia Book, by Rudolf Jenny. Printed for the author by Imprenta Mariscal, Quito, Ecuador, 2018. Volume in large octavo (22.0 × 27.4 cm; 8.7 × 29.1 in.), 231 pages, hundreds of color photographs, color and black and white illustrations. Hardbound, with dust jacket. Available directly from the author’s website Orchilibra.com (shop) for $110 plus shipping. BOOK REVIEW I must confess I have a weakness for and unpublished illustrations from a lot of personal observations by the orchid monographs. I like the idea of Reichenbach’s and Senghas’ herbaria, author himself and other experts, such as having a book to browse, among whose and John Day’s Scrap Book. Six published Günter Gerlach), make this chapter a very pages I will eventually find the correct historical illustrations, plus four sketches useful addition to the scientific literature name for an orchid flower that I turn in and a specimen reproduced from about the pollination syndrome by male my hands. Paraphrasing Henry Oakeley’s different herbaria, accompany the three euglossine bees. Chapters on Paphinia introduction to his first Guide to Lycaste color pictures of Paphinia grandiflora hybridization (lavishly illustrated), the and Anguloa, it is nice to know that the (and its synonym, Paphinia grandis). Ten etymology of all the species, a selection of species you are trying to identify is either color photographs illustrate the variability useful literature and the index of names there or is a new thing. I also have a of the Ecuadorian Paphinia herrerae. conclude the book. fondness for the books illustrated with Paphinia rugosa and its variety kalbreyeri The Paphinia Book surely represents prodigality, with a profusion of color pages, have the record of illustrations, with seven an authoritative monograph of the genus. because to the pleasure of knowledge unpublished and one published illustration From a taxonomic point of view, I just they add amazement and admiration for spanning from 1877 to 1892 (mostly full want to address a few points that could the bizarre diversity of natural beauty. page), and 12 color photographs! be improved. First of all, the treatment Now, one can imagine how to put For all the treated species, the original lacks a taxonomic key to the species, together a “book” on a large orchid genus, illustrations (when existing) and the which would have rendered it much with the over 100 species of Cattleya protologues of the single species (together easier for the reader finding a particular (sensu lato), the 100 or so species of with those of the synonymized taxa) are taxon without the necessity of browsing Paphiopedilum, the 70 species of Vanda, also reproduced at the original size, and through the entire book, looking at the the 60 taxa included in Cymbidium, so can be easily consulted. Photographs of iconographic material. Secondly, some the 50 species of Phalaenopsis, and the flower and the habit (in most cases), species have not been explicitly typified, also on the 40 or so taxa accepted for and macrophotographs of the lip, mostly as should be expected by a monographic Phragmipedium. In fact, these genera taken by the author in his private plant work. So, for example, Paphinia grandiflora have been monographed several times. collection, are presented for each taxon in should have been formally lectotypified An orchidologist, however, has only a way that facilitates species comparison. (and its synonyms Pna. grandis and Pna. few chances to see a richly illustrated I particularly like this style of monograph, nutans should have been typified as well), monograph, shaped like a book, on small which presents the author’s conclusions and Paphinia posadarum should have genera of 10 or 15 species. together with most of the material that perhaps deserved to be neotypified, as With his Paphinia Book, Rudolf Jenny supports the taxonomic decisions. It is a according to the author both the holotype succeeded in bringing together both transparent style that allows the reader and the isotype are apparently missing aspects of a useful and pleasant lecture, to form his or her own idea about the from their respective herbaria. Finally, creating a real book of 230 pages on an identity and circumscription of the the author accepts and maintains in his orchid genus of just a few more than a species, and to understand the taxonomic treatment both the subspecific ranks dozen species. If only for this reason, his approach adopted by the author. Finally, of varietas and formae (i.e., Paphinia work deserves wide praise. when available, photographs of the neudeckeri f. mocoaensis [R.Jenny] Of course, this is not the only reason to habitats are also shown under the specific O.Gruss and P. cristata f. modiglianiana review and praise Jenny’s monograph on treatments, together with images of the [Rchb.f.] O.Gruss, versus Paphinia levyae Paphinia. This solid book takes advantage original collectors and the botanists who var. angustisegmenta Garay), without of the author’s recognized photographic described the species, to underline the explaining his criteria about the meaning skills, as well as of his passion for human history behind the nomenclatural of the taxonomic categories utilized in the historical aspects of orchidology, history of orchids. the book. One would have preferred to supported by a legendary personal library. The monograph recognizes 15 species have, also in this particular case, a final Under the General chapter, not only is of Paphinia, plus one variety and one word about the systematic ranking of the the history of Paphinia accompanied form. Thirteen other Paphinia names, concerned taxa. by excellent images of old book pages, both at the specific or varietal rank, are I want to recommend this beautiful herbaria specimens and portraits of the reduced under the synonymy of the 17 monograph not only to insiders, who relevant figures in the discovery of this accepted taxa (including the subspecific will certainly use it for their botanical orchid genus, but virtually all the accepted taxa). activities, but also to the many fans of this species are illustrated with ancient plates Chapters on morphology (including magnificent group of plants and to the and botanical drawings, which add a general, sepals and petals, column, simple lovers of natural beauty, because touch of historical “scent” to the modern pollinaria and anther, lip, lip-callus, lip in the pages of this book they will certainly photographs, and considerably broaden appendices, in this order), a species find a variety of things on which to feast the reader’s appreciation of the natural checklist, distribution, and habitat precede their eyes. variation of individual species. Just to give the systematic treatment, arranged in — Franco Pupulin, Lankester Botanical you a few examples, Paphinia cristata alphabetical order by species. Particularly Garden, University of Costa Rica (email is illustrated with 11 plates (plus four worthy of mention is an extensive chapter [email protected]). pictures), taken from journals such as the on the pollination biology of Paphinia Botanical Register, The Botanist, Curtis’s (pp. 198–213), written by Heiko Hentrich, Botanical Magazine, Flore des Series and a worldwide recognized expert in the Lindenia, books such as Icones Plantarum reproductive biology of the Stanhopeinae. Tropicarum, Warner and Williams’ Orchid A deep discussion on Paphinia pollination Album and Venezuelan Orchid Illustrated, mechanism and on floral scent (with 560 Orchids julY 2018 WWW.AOS.ORG.