Florapedia: A Brief Compendium of Floral Lore

"This book is an engaging and informative compendium of flower facts. Similar in a nature to Lawrence Millman's Fungipedia, the book brings together a wide range of interesting facts and stories-ranging from the historical to the scientific to the whimsical. The book has roughly 100 entries, beginning with achlorophyllous flowers that feed on the roots of a host plant, and ending with zygomorphic flowers, that pose an interesting puzzle for pollinators. In the entries in-between, readers will explore with John and William Bartram, smell the rotting corpse flower, learn about the miniature ecosystems entangled in Spanish moss, and much more. Similar to Fungipedia, the book is intended for a general audience, but thanks to Gracie's depth and breadth of knowledge, and her artful prose, it will also appeal to seasoned flower enthusiasts. The entries are accompanied by approximately 50 line drawings from Amy Jean Porter"--
A delightful illustrated treasury of botanical facts and fancyFlorapedia is an eclectic A–Z compendium of botanical lore. With more than 100 enticing entries—on topics ranging from achlorophyllous plants that use a fungus as an intermediary to obtain nutrients from other plants to zygomorphic flowers that admit only the most select pollinators—this collection is a captivating journey into the realm of botany.Writing in her incomparably engaging style, Carol Gracie discusses remarkable plants from around the globe, botanical art and artists, early botanical explorers, ethnobotanical uses of plants, botanical classification and terminology, the role of plants in history, and more. She shares illuminating facts about van Gogh's sunflowers and reveals how a hallucinogenic weed left its enduring mark on the early history of the Jamestown colony. Gracie describes the travels of John and William Bartram—father and son botanists and explorers who roamed widely in early America in search of plants—and delves into the miniature ecosystems entangled in Spanish moss. The book's convenient size allows for it to be tucked into a pocket or bag, making it the perfect companion on your own travels.With charming drawings by Amy Jean Porter, Florapedia is the ideal gift book for the plant enthusiast in your life and a rare pleasure for anyone interested in botanical art, history, medicine, or exploration.