Le orchidee del Piemonte

Amalita Isaja and Lorenzo Dotti present a pocket-sized field guide to the wild orchids of Piemonte: they discuss the importance of herbariums, the ecology of orchids, habitat conservation - particularly that of dry grasslands - and pollinators.  The guide is fully illustrated with drawings and watercolour plates to help identify the 90 species of wild orchids currently known in Piemonte. It includes:

• identification keys based on species comparisons and the most important characteristics for identification
• in-depth sections dedicated to pollination mechanisms and other scientific curiosities to help understand and appreciate orchids, their history and the ecological network of which they form part
• distribution maps summarising decades of field observations, meticulous consultations of bibliographies and databases, and examinations of herbarium specimens, including the invaluable Herbarium Pedemontanum housed at the Botanical Garden of the University of Torino
• itineraries for discovery and biodiversity hotspots in some of Piedmont’s most remarkable locations from a landscape, environmental and naturalistic perspective