Orchidelirium

Orchidelirium, also called orchidomania or orchid fever, is the name given to the Victorian era's flower madness for collecting and discovering orchids. Wealthy orchid fanatics of the 19th century sent explorers and collectors to almost every part of the world in search of new varieties and species of orchids.[1]

Orchidelirium is seen as similar to Dutch tulip mania. Today there still exists some levels of orchid madness, that has some times resulted in theft of exceptional orchids among collectors such as the Ghost Orchid.[2]

  1. ^ Ronnie Godeanu, Nature assessed Sep 30, 2008 Nature:Obsession with Orchids
  2. ^ Susan Orlean, "The Orchid Thief" 1998 Random House publishing The Orchid Thief