"A refreshingly insightful history of plant introductions." - Roy
Lancaster
Travel the world with extraordinary tales of the botanical discoveries
that have shaped empires, built (and destroyed) economies,
revolutionized medicine and advanced our understanding of science.
Circling the globe from Australia's Botany Bay to the Tibetan plateau,
from the deserts of Southern Africa to the jungles of Brazil, this book
presents an incredible cast of characters - dedicated researchers and
reckless adventurers, physicians, lovers and thieves. Meet dauntless
Scots explorer David Douglas and visionary Prussian thinker Alexander
von Humboldt, the 'Green Samurai' Mikinori Ogisu and the intrepid 17th
century entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian - the first woman known to
have made a living from science.
Beautifully illustrated with over 100 botanical artworks from the
archives of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this absorbing book tells
the stories of how plants have travelled across the world - from the
missions of the Pharaohs right up to 21st century seed-banks and the
many new and endangered species being named every year.
***
THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW is a world-famous research organization
and a major international visitor attraction. It harnesses the power of
its science, the rich diversity of its gardens and collections to
unearth why plants and fungi matter to everyone. Its aspiration is to
end the extinction crisis and help create a world where nature and
biodiversity are protected, valued and managed sustainably.
