Orchids Found Growing on Human Skulls

Orchids have fueled human imagination since they were first seen by Europeans. Can you imagine reading this article's title as a headline in your daily newspaper? One of early news accounts in Europe tells of the Australian explorer who found an orchid plant growing on a human skull. Needless to say, the newspapers of the day were eager to spread the story and thus, contribute to one of many myths about these strange and beautiful plants.

This story is just one of many myths about orchids found in Luigi Berliocchi's book, The Orchid in Lore and Legend , published by Timber Press in 2000. This well-researched book is an important addition to the world of orchid growers. It is illustrated throughout with black and white pictures taken from old books about this extensive plant family. In addition, sixteen full-colored plates taken from older books are included giving the reader just a glimpse of the various orchid species available today. Now let's take a deeper look at the book's topics.

Myths and Legends and From Prehistory to History are the topics covered in the first two chapters. The legends are fascinating. I wonder if any other plant group has given people such strange ideas? The chapter talking about orchids in history discusses the contributions made by many famous orchid hunters and collectors. The final paragraph of chapter 2 says it all:

..By the end of the nineteenth century the whole orchid ethos had changed. Orchid growing was no longer the domain of the privileged few, but rather of the large and wealthy middle classes. Huge specialist nurseries oversaw the importation and establishment of wild-collected plants. The germination requirements of orchid seeds finally became understood, making propagation easier and plants cheaper. Orchidmania was an era of dreams and adventures--it was to die, with so many other aspects of the old order, less tragically but equally completely, with the outbreak of the Great War. [Page 86]

The many uses of orchids is the subject of Chapter four. Here you learn about the mention of orchids in literature, art, and, of course, magic. Religious, medical, and food uses of orchids are also covered. This gives the reader a deep appreciation for the value of orchids aside from their beauty.

Chapter five is where you turn for a good description of the various groups of orchids -- epiphytic, lithophytic, terrestrial, and saprophytic. Then a detailed discussion of the plant parts and their functions is presented. It amazes me that some orchids spend their entire life cycle underground.

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