Queen of the night, Darwin's comet, lady's slipper, little dragon, black chimaera - the otherworldly names of orchid species are as beautiful as these sought-after flowers themselves.

From flamboyant and colourful to strange and understated, and from alpine meadows to cloud forests, the orchid's variety and range is unparallelled - and has made it an object of obsession to plant collectors for centuries. With over 250 stunning botanical illustrations and fascinating documents from the archives at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, The Orchid explores 40 different varieties of this evocative and elusive flower.