How many orchid photos and species are available on Gary Yong Gee's website?

Updated

As of May 2026, the site hosts over 10,000 photos covering more than 4,000 species across over 600 genera. That is the figure for what has actually been uploaded and organized into the site's pages so far. The larger personal collection behind it is bigger: over 7,750 species in 750 genera, and it is still growing.

What the numbers mean

The two figures measure different things, so it helps to keep them apart:

Figure What it counts
Over 10,000 photos, 4,000+ species, 600+ genera Content uploaded to the website as at May 2026
Over 7,750 species, 750 genera The full photographic collection, not all published yet
30,000+ colour slides, 90,000+ digital images Total images taken over more than 45 years of photography

The gap between the uploaded total and the full collection is deliberate. Gary Yong Gee describes progress on the pages as gradual, and notes that the site is being added to over time.

Where the photographs come from

The images are not all studio or greenhouse shots. Many were taken in situ in various countries around the world. Others come from displays at orchid conferences, including each of the last thirteen World Orchid Conferences: Tokyo, Auckland, Glasgow, Rio de Janeiro, Vancouver, Kuala Lumpur, Dijon, Miami, Singapore, Johannesburg, Guayaquil, Tainan and Dresden.

What else is on the site

Beyond the photo galleries, the site includes:

  • Articles — drawn from notes written for the Orchid Species Bulletin, published by the Orchid Species Society in Brisbane, Queensland. The monthly article has run for over 40 years and typically covers 17 or more orchids per issue.
  • Talks — a selection of presentations given to orchid societies and other groups, including sessions delivered over Zoom.
  • Links — pointers to other sites with information on species orchids, particularly in Australia and New Zealand.

A note on classification

The site states a preference for a consistent taxonomic classification of Orchidaceae that does not rely predominantly on DNA and genetic information. Alongside plant habit and floral characteristics, it also takes account of ecology, pollination biology and breeding behaviour. If you are comparing names against a DNA-based checklist, expect some differences.

Checking for updates

Because content is uploaded gradually, the counts above are a snapshot rather than a fixed total. The "Orchids" option in the site menu is where the current coverage is visible, and the site itself advises returning later as more information is added.