In Pursuit Of Plants

In Surinam, plant hunter F.W. Hostmann allowed vampire bats to suck his toes; in west Africa, William Grant Milne was forced to sell his clothes and travel naked for 200 miles; George Forrest narrowly escaped rampaging lamas in western China; and, in Fiji, Berthold Seemann recorded which plants cannibals used as an accompaniment to human flesh. These and other accounts of the experiences of collectors in their pursuit of plants from around the world make fascinating reading. Philip Short, plant taxonomist at the Northern Territory Herbarium, has delved into journals and letters, some previously unpublished, to present the perils, pitfalls and humour associated with plant collecting. Illustrated with nineteenth century botanical art and modern photographs, In Pursuit of Plants will appeal to professional and amateur botanists, gardeners and anyone interested in natural history and travel.