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Vascular Plants as Epiphytes pp 139–166Cite as

Gas Exchange and Water Relations in Epiphytic Orchids

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Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 76))

Abstract

The orchids represent one of the largest and most variable families in the plant kingdom. Probably no other family of flowering plants has attracted so much interest by professional botanists and hobbyists than the orchids. This interest has been aroused not only by the exotic beauty of these plants; the fascination derives also from the manifold mechanisms of ecological adaptation developed in the orchid family. Despite the extensive literature on orchids (for review, see Arditti 1979; Dressier 1981), many problems remain to be investigated. This concerns in particular the ecophysiology of orchids. It is our aim to discuss in this chapter a special problem in this field, namely the gas exchange and water relations of epiphytic orchids. Other fascinating aspects of adaptation linked with the epiphytic life of orchids, for instance the ecology of flowering, pollination, and seedling establishment are beyond the scope of our present review. For these aspects the aforementioned monograph by L. Dressier (1981) should be consulted.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, National University of Singapore, 0511, Singapore

    C. J. Goh

  2. Institut für Botanik, Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, D-6100, Darmstadt, Germany

    M. Kluge

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  1. C. J. Goh
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  2. M. Kluge
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Botanik, TH Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 3–5, 6100, Darmstadt, Germany

    Ulrich Lüttge

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© 1989 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Goh, C.J., Kluge, M. (1989). Gas Exchange and Water Relations in Epiphytic Orchids. In: Lüttge, U. (eds) Vascular Plants as Epiphytes. Ecological Studies, vol 76. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74465-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74465-5_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-74467-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-74465-5

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