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Sunday, February 14, 2010

Orchid Photographic Resources

Although I'm a big fan of Google image search, sometimes it is more practical to go to specific databases. Mainly I use these to search for species photos and culture specifics, leaving Google for hybrid images. I've recently learned of the London Orchid Society's photo database, which covers species and hybrids, but works a bit differently from other internet resources in that it returns a list of book and magazine references where photos of any searched name can be found, rather than the photos themselves. Useful for anyone with an extensive library, but maybe not so much for the rest of us. I thought now would be a good time to share some of my favorite online resources.
  • Internet Orchid Species Encyclopedia (amazingly comprehensive cross-referenced list of species, including some varieties, with photos, basic culture information, origin and other information; Please consider giving a donation - he does a fantastic job!)
  • Phalaenopsis Primary Hybrids (click on Phalaenopsis species and you'll get an array of photos of the species as well as a list of the primary hybrids made with it)
  • RHS International Orchid Registrar (not a photo database, but useful none-the-less for finding hybrid names and parentage)
  • Paphiopedilum Primary Hybrids (Click on a section of the chart, arranged by genus sections, to get a page containing primary hybrid names, photos of the hybrids, and photos of the parents)
Do you have a favorite resource that is not on this page? Please share in a comment!