Just a few days ago, the Orchid World lost one of its true guiding lights, one of its geniuses.
Robert Dressler has passed away. I weep for his family and his friends.
I never met the man personally but his was a name all orchid people knew who grew species.
He went searching for native orchids all over the world. He also had a tremendous interest in bees and other pollinators. Mr. Dressler was a noted authority on a great number of orchids and for me, the world just somehow seems a little dimmer today!! Rest In Peace! 🙏

I am sorry to read this! His book The Orchids/ Natural History and Classification was one of the earliest books I picked up after being infected by Orchiditis!

It was earth shaking to me.
Very similar to when H. Phillips Jesup passed several years back.

In the Northeast when a species was awarded, ID would need to be certified or performed. Dressler was some one we often turned to. His ID's were thoughtful and prompt.