Orchids of the Maltese Islands A Descriptive Guide

Orchids of the Maltese Islands is the first book dealing with the wild orchids occurring in the Maltese islands, written by the qualified local botanist Stephen Mifsud who have been studying orchids for the last 15 years. It provides a comprehensive and updated knowledge as well as an easy guide to identify the species occurring in Malta, accessibly written and aimed at a wide audience. As a field guide, apart from an easy key to all the species, and some 200 photos, Orchids of the Maltese Islands provides quick identification tips, flowering period, distribution maps, and high-quality closeup photos for each species. Moreover, species profiles contain a detailed description giving morphological variability, remarks on closely related species, origin of the species name, a brief account of the history and taxonomy, and the observed or known pollinators for each species. Four detailed taxonomic discussions for debatable groups of orchids are aimed at the more academic orchidophiles. Last but not least, one can find several chapters on the anatomy, life cycle, ecology, evolution, interesting facts, classification, hybrid speciation, and abnormalities of orchids. Orchids of the Maltese Islands hence covers all aspects of the Maltese orchids and supplies ample information on each species and how to identify them.