Orchids are the most charismatic of flowering plants and the largest family with over 20,000 species. Many are naturally rare and others are thought to be endangered or extinct through habitat destruction and over-collecting. Orchids have a high profile in conservation but relatively little is known about their distribution and lifestyles. Author Harold Koopowitz gives the most up-to-date information on the biology, ecology, distribution, destruction and conservation of orchids that there is.

This book is a comprehensive review of the genera of Orchidaceae, a diverse and widespread family of flowering plants, found in tropical East Africa. It presents information on their character, occurrence, habitat, phenotypic variations and distribution of each of the species under these genera.