Field Guide to the Orchids of Costa Rica and Panama.
by Robert L. Dressler.
1993, 374 pp., 229 pen drawings and 40 plates with in total 240 colour photos.
Cornell University Press, New York, USA.
ISBN 0-8014-8139-2
Dressler writes in his preface (p. vii):
“My goal in writing this field guide was to make it possible for both botanists and non-botanists to identify at least the genus of most orchids found in Costa Rica and Panama. I have tried to emphasize features that can be seen in the field with the naked eye or a hand lens. I have also tried to avoid unnecessarily complex terminology in the keys; the Glossary explains the special terms I found useful. For almost all the genera with fewer than 40 species, users of this guide should be able to identify to species most plants they encounter. The keys for Epidendrum, Maxillaria, Oncidium, and Pleurothallis are longer and more complex than I would wish - even though I have divided the keys for three of these genera into several smaller keys-but I hope that they will prove useful.
I do not provide keys to the species of Lepanthes and Stelis. The many species of Stelis are not well known, and both genera are difficult to identify in the field without a good dissecting microscope.”
The guide starts with succinct descriptions of the geography, climate, and vegetation of Costa Rica and Panama (p. 1-16). Notes on ‘Orchid Structure and Ecology’: p. 17-32). Information about ‘Classification and Identification: How to Use this Guide’: p. 33-44), and a general key illustrated with line drawings leading to the chapter for identification of most orchids Costa Rica and Panama.
The next chapters with keys, texts and line drawings, make it possible (for non-botanists) to identify at least the genus of the orchids.
- Cattleya and Its Cousins: Subtribe Laeliinae (p. 45-98).
- Oncidium and Its Relatives: Subtribe Oncidiinae (p. 99-132).
- The Bizarre Subtribes: Catasetinae and Stanhopeinae (p. 133-).
- Mostly Miniatures: Subtribe Pleuothallidinae (p. 156-216).
- Maxillarieae with Four Pollinia (p.217-261).
- Miscellaneous Orchids with Corms or Pseudobulbs (p. 262-276).
- Miscellaneous Orchids Without Pseudobulbs, Mostly Terrestrials (p. 277-326).
These chapters are followed by 40 plates with 6 photos each which are only a little bit helpful.
Appendix A is about preparing orchid materials for study or identification (p. 327-330); Appendix B is about authors of orchid names in this guide (p. 331-353).
At the end a Glossary (p. 355-360), Illustration Credits (p. 361) and the index (p. 363-374).
Conclusion.
Anyone traveling in Costa Rica to spot orchids will likely already know something about them. Experience using the various keys is essential.
However, those who know little or nothing about orchids should carefully browse through this field guide several times before setting out to find them in the wild, and then identify them using the various keys. A photo guide will be more useful than this guide. This book can be helpful as a field guide.
However, taking good photos in the field and then identifying them using books like ‘Vanishing Beauty - Native Costa Rican Orchids - Vol. 3’ or 'Vanishing Beauty - Native Costa Rican Orchids - Vol. 2' will lead to a better understanding of the orchids in Costa Rica.