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None of Pavaphon Supanantananont's university degrees have anything to do with biology, but nowadays he gives full rein to his avid interest in trees, flowers and animals and has written several well-received books on botany.
Ruam Pon Kon Rak Kluay Mai ISBN 978-974-247-425-6 525 baht Available at leading local bookstores
One of these, Orchid Mania, or Ruam Pon Kon Rak Kluay Mai to give it its Thai title, is a volume that he says he brought out in order to share his own and other people's experiences with orchids.
The 232-pager covers many aspects of this much-prized family of blooms, beginning with their history which he traces back to 1,000 BC. He goes on to describe the so-called "orchidelirium" (orchid madness) which took place in the 19th century when wealthy fanatics sent explorers and collectors to almost every part of the world in search of new varieties of orchids.
Pavaphon also tells how many foreign species of orchid made their way to Thailand and one of the most interesting parts of the book covers prominent Thai figures who were orchid aficionados. Individuals mentioned include: Prince Kasemsri Supayok, dubbed the first Thai orchid breeder, Prince Paribatra Sukhumbhand, another aristocratic enthusiast who was well-known among orchid exporters in Europe, plus Prof Gunnar Seidenfaden and Prof Tem Smitinand, forest botanists who explored orchid species all over Thailand and published a significant reference work entitled The Orchids Of Thailand: A Preliminary List.
The book's final section, "Orchid Mania", features interviews with a number of Thai orchid breeders, both professional and amateur. This chapter also describes how each of them first got hooked on orchid cultivation, their favourite species, most-loved books on orchids, growing tips and so forth.
A comprehensive book on this subject, Orchid Mania is a good source of knowledge for both beginners and seasoned growers.
Brassocattleya Nok Noi Lek.
Paphiopedilum exul, an orchid species found in Krabi, Phangnga, Phuket and Chumphon provinces.
Bulbophyllum flabellum-veneris var. alba, top, and B. gracillimum var. alba.
Bulbophyllum smitinandii.
Hybrids that are a cross between Cattleya Varut Palin and Rhyncholaeliocattleya.
Rhynchostylis comes in a variety of colours.
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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/02/23/obsessed-with-orchids-2/
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