The orchid family is one of the largest families of flowering plants known for their beauty and economic importance. This work provides information in key areas of research that are important to both scientists and commercial growers alike. The main purposes of this book are to provide key practical areas of research, such as, germination, micropropagation, traditional and current techniques related to plant improvement; document methods that ensure survival of plants from laboratories to greenhouses; promote communication between scientists and growers, so that their combined expertise on these areas will lead to the successful growth of orchids in their natural habitats or commercial greenhouses. This book can serve as reference for laymen with an interest in orchid growing.This book is divided into 5 parts. The first part emphasizes propagation methods using seeds and related techniques that are important to plant conservation and improvement. Successes in asymbiotic and symbiotic seed germination are keys to orchid conservation and their propagation. The second part summarizes micropropagation methods, common media, and newer methods of micropropagation such as the bioreactor culture procedures. The third part focuses on techniques related to the manipulation of explants in an in vitro environment. The fourth part covers cell biological methods and transformation techniques. Since the successes in a laboratory setting do not guarantee plant survival and propagation in greenhouses and in the natural environment, it discusses greenhouse propagation techniques that are essential to the survival of plants generated from a laboratory setting. The fifth part showcases recent successes on orchid propagation by documenting sample publications and how to present orchids in an artistic fashion for one's enjoyment.

Serves as a comprehensive reference on orchid conservation and propagation Provides a theoretical background with practical protocols applying current scientific knowledge Synthesizes a number of related topics that are useful to orchid growing and appeal to a large audience with different backgrounds

Autorentext
Yung-I Lee received his Ph.D. degree in Horticultural Science from the National Taiwan University. After spending two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, Dr. Lee joined the Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, where he is now a Curator. His primary research interests have been the conservation biology of orchids, especially in vitro propagation and mycorrhizal association. Dr. Lee also served as the chairman of Orchid Working Group (2006-2010) in the International Society for Horticultural Science.

Edward Chee-Tak Yeung received his B. Sc. Honors degree from the University of Guelph and a Ph.D. in Biology from Yale University. After spending one year as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Yeung joined the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Canada, where he is now a Faculty Professor. His primary research interests involvethe reproductive biology of higher plants, especially the structural and physiological aspects of embryo development. Professor Yeung is the recipient of the Lawson Medal in recognition of cumulative, life-time contributions to Canadian botany from the Canadian Botanical Association in 2014. He has co-edited two books with colleagues, entitled Plant Embryo Culture and Plant Microtechniques and Protocols. Both are published by Springer Nature, New York.

Inhalt
Part I: Orchid Seeds in Plant Propagation and Conservation.- Understanding Seed and Protcorm Development in Orchids.- Orchid Mycorrhizal Fungi: Isolation and Identification Techniques.- Protocols for Establishing Fungi-Protocorm Culture.- Orchid Seed and Pollen: A Tool-kit for Long-term Storage, Viability Assessment and Conservation.- Part II: Orchid Micropropagation.- Orchid Seed Germination and Micropropagation I: Background information and Related Protocols.- Orchid Seed Germination and Micropropagation II: Media information and Composition.- Orchid Micropropagation: An Overview of Approaches and Methodologies.- Common Protocols in Orchid Micropropagation.- Micropropagation of Orchids by Using Bioreactor Technology.- Enhanced Growth and Development of Cymbidium and Phalaenopsis Plantlets Cultured in vitro Under Light-emitting Diodes.- Part III: Special Techniques.- Tracking Pollen Fates in Orchid Populations.- Cut-column Pollination Method to Overcome Pollination Barrier in Phalaenopsis .- In vitro Flowering and Breeding of Erycina pusilla .- Virus Elimination through Meristem Culture and Rapid Clonal Propagation Using a Temporary Immersion System.- Cryopreservation.- Haploid Seed Formation via Parthenogenesis in Bletilla .- A Protocol for the Induction of Polyploids in Phalaenopsis Orchids by in vitro Method without Using Anti-microtubule Agents.- Virus Detection.- Part IV: Cell and Molecular Biology and Transformation.- Genetic Transformation on Orchid species: An Overview of Approaches and Methodologies.- Recent Protocols on Genetic Transformation of Orchid Species.- The Use of Laser Microdissection to Investigate Cell Specific Gene Expression in Orchid Tissues.- Part V: Orchid Propagation and Maintenance.- Vegetative Propagation of Orchids.- Orchid Cultivation in Taiwan: Conventional and Innovative Methods.- Strategies in Orchid Health Maintenance.- Part VI: Showcasing Orchids.- Macro Flower Photography: An Introduction to Photographic Principles and Techniques.- An Introduction to Chinese Orchid Paintings.- Recent Advances in Orchid Seed Germination and Micropropagation.