'SIGNAL FOR SEDUCTION' ORCHID EXHIBIT ILLUMINATES THE MYSTERY BEHIND THE FLOWER.

Byline: Pam Waterman Correspondent

The orchid has long inspired writers and illustrators.

For example, botanical artist Margaret Mee trekked through the Amazon rain forest in the 1960s and '70s to capture its beauty.

Long before that, in the 19th century, British botanist James Bateman created the king of orchid books, ``The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala.'' The large book is illustrated with beautifully detailed botanical works by a mysterious artist known only as Miss Drake.

These rare illustrated pieces from the Huntington's collections are all part of ``Orchids: A Natural Obsession.'' The exhibit, in the Boone Gallery at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, is on view through Jan. 1.

``The exhibit is a collection of stunning images,'' says the garden's botanical education manager, Kitty Connolly. ``People have spent a lot of time, effort and skill to study orchids for scientific purposes and also to glorify them artistically.''

Throughout the gallery, pertinent wall inscriptions are related to orchids. For example, author Rex Stout's contribution: ``An orchid is not a flower as a gladiolus or a poppy is a flower, it is a signal for seduction, a beckoning of the exotic, a banner of sophisticated romance.''

There are also miniature gold orchids sculpted by artist Mickey Nax. The dazzling pieces in this collection were donated to the Huntington in 1999.

Live orchids, too, are on display. One that is featured is the cattleya, the orchid that most people would identify as the prototypical Mother's Day corsage. It's included in the ``Art'' section of the exhibit. ``They're huge, and they're vivid pink,'' says Connolly. ``They're very striking.''

The phalaenopsis makes an appearance in the ``Science'' section, which details the discovery of orchids and how to care for them. ``They're the ones that are most commonly known now,'' Connolly says. ``You can find them at Trader Joe's.''

Budding artists will even find a table in the gallery where they can sit down and create their own botanical illustrations inspired by the works hanging on a nearby wall.

The orchid family has the greatest number of species of any plant family, estimated at more than 30,000. And that's part of the appeal, Connolly says. ``I think it's the variety that attracts people. There's an infinite number of forms and adaptations.''

Orchids are found growing on all continents except Antarctica and in all types of weather conditions. They have been so popular among collectors that many thousands of named hybrids have been developed in the past two centuries.

``People just fall in love with them,'' Connolly says. ``Orchids are full of possibilities, but they're also unattainable, because you can't possibly have them all. That makes them very alluring.''

Orchids are now the second-most-popular potted flowering plant in the United States, surpassed only by poinsettias. Yet there remains an entire world of orchids that most people haven't begun to explore.

The Huntington spotlights that complex world with this exhibit, and will continue to do so by also hosting the Southland Orchid Show again next year.

Doug Conkin, longtime member of the Southland Orchid Society, is a committed orchid lover and quite happy about all the orchid-related activity going on in Southern California. He's a past president of the Orchid Show Committee and assisted in bringing this year's orchid show to the Huntington. He encourages people new to orchids to learn more about the family.

``Young plants don't reveal the true beauty of orchids,'' he said. ``Newcomers don't understand how showy they can be when they're mature. Our show is the place where they can see orchids in their full potential.''

In the past 10 years, new propagation techniques have brought orchid prices down and made many once-rare varieties available to budget-minded gardeners. The show, as well as the exhibit, showcases the full spectrum of orchids, from the most common to the most rare.

``Historically, only the very very rich could afford orchids,'' Connolly says. ``Now they are much more affordable - but you can still buy a $500 orchid. In fact, we had some for sale at this year's show.''

Lifestyle Editor Diana McKeon Charkalis contributed to this story.

ORCHIDS: A NATURAL OBSESSION

What: Art exhibit and floral display celebrating the orchid.

Where: The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino.

When: 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today and Sunday, noon to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; through Jan. 1.

Tickets: $15 adults, $12 seniors, $10 students (ages 12-18), $6 youth (ages 5-11), free for children 5 and younger. Call [phone]; www.huntington.org.

CAPTION(S):

6 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) On the cover: The Cattleya orchid is one of many on view at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.

(2 -- 3 -- color) The dendrobium, above, and phalaenopsis, right, are among the many orchid varieties included in the Huntington Library's exhibit and floral display.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

(4 -- 5 -- color) This Ecua-Bess orchid, left, is planted in the Huntington's Tropical Forest Rotunda and may be viewed by visitors to the exhibition ``A Natural Obsession,'' which also features a variety of hand-illustrated books, including ``The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala,'' above.

(6 -- color) Miniature gold orchids sculpted by artist Mickey Nax are on display in the Huntington's Boone Gallery.