REFERENCES

Dransfield, J. and Uhl, N. W. (1984). A magnificent new palm from Madagascar. Principes 28: 15 1-1 54.

Humbert, H. (1955). Une merville de la Nature B Madagascar. PremiZre exploration botanique du massif du Marojejy et ses satellites. Mem. Znst. Sci. Madagascar, S6r. B, 6: 1-210.

BOOKS OF 1989

Victoria Matthews

Book production continues to expand, despite a decrease in the number of publishing houses due to takeovers, mergers and economic problems. Natural history and horticulture are as popular as ever, but strictly botanical books have a more limited audience. This survey attempts to mention somc of the morc useful, attractive or interesting books which appeared during 1989. No mention is made of 1989 books already reviewed in the Magazine, or books which will be reviewed in forthcoming issues. The books are arranged in similar groups but inevitably, there are cases of an ovcrlap where certain books fit into more than one category.

FIELD-GUIDES AND FLORAS. The Illustrated Flora o f Britain and Northern Europe by Marjorie Blarney & C. Grey-Wilson (Collins, E25) is weighty and hardly a pocket guide. Crammed with useful details and beautifully illustrated, it should, however, be ?n the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in European wild flowers. F. Rose has written Grasses, Sedges, Rushes and Ferns o f the British Isles andnorth-western Europe (Viking, E35) and included keys, descriptions and colour paintings. A useful work consisting almost entirely of distribution maps is Atlas der Farn- und Blutenpjanzen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland by H. Haeupler & P. Schonfelder (Ulmer, D M 68).

The fourth and final volume of Tree Flora o f Malgya, ed. by F. S. P. Ng (Longman, piice not given) contains 25 families including Anacardiaceae, Lauraceae, Meliaceae and Rubiaceae. In Japanese, apart from the captions, but with lots ofcolour photographs is WildFlowersofJpan- Woody Plants, ed. by Y. Satake et al., 2 vols. (Heibonsha Ltd, Tokyo, DM 756). Field Guide to Australian Orchids by M. Hodgson & R. Paine (Angus & Robertson, E20.95) contains descriptions, but no keys, and somewhat naive paintings.

Flora o f Eastern Saudi Arabia by J. P. Mandaville (Keegan Paul, E65) describes the 560 species so-far known from this region. I t includes keys and colour illustrations. The Wi ld Flowering Plants of Bahrain - A n Illustrated Guide by M. D. & C. D. Cornes (Immel Publishing, E17.95) covers 254 species most of which are illustrated by photographs, and has an introduction to the country, climate and habitats. Flowering Plants o f Seychelles by S . A. Robertson (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Pb E l 2) is essentially a check-list illustrated with line drawings.

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The third volume ofthe European Garden Flora, ed. by S. M. Walters et al. (Cambridge Univ. Press, E65) covers the families Casurinaceae to Aristolo- chiaceae and includes the important families Betulaceac, Fagaceae, Proteaceac, Polygonaceae, Aizoaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Cactaceae, Ran- unculaceae and Nymphaceae. The IdentiJication of Flowering Plant Families by 1’. H. Davis & J. Cullen (Cambridge Univ. Press, H b E20, Pb L6.95) has appeared in a 3rd edition: i t is cssential for any student of plant taxonomy, indeed for anyone who wants to identify plants to family level. Foreign Floras include Vol. 5 of the Flora of the Lesser Antilles - Leeward and Windward Islands by R. A. Howard (Arnold Arboretum, Mass., price not given) and covers the families Euphorbiaceae to Melastomataceae. Volume 3 of the Flora of Australia, ed. by A. S. George, contains the Hamamelidaceae, Ulmaceae, Cannabaceae, Moraceae and Urticaceae (Australian Publishing Service, Canberra, 224). The following families appeared last year in the Flora of Tropical East Africa, ed. by R. M. Polhill (Balkema, Rotterdam): Aponogetonaccae (U), Bombacaceae (E3), Dip- terocarpaceae (U), Hydrocharitaceae (E2.50), Hydrophyllaceae ( E l .50), Moraceae ( E l I ), Najadaceae (E3), Nymphaeaceae (E3), Ruppiaceae (E1.50), Smilacaceae (E1.50), Umbelliferae (E12) and Urticaceae (E8.50). The Flora of Ecuador (published by the Nordic Journal ofBotany) has issued the families Erythroxylaceae (E9.95), Valerianaceae ( E l 1.70) and Cactaccae (E16.15). The following monographs for Flora Neotropica (New York Botanical Garden) were produced: 49 Krameriaceae by B. B. Simpson ($30); 95 Chrysobalanaceae by G. 7‘. Prance ($58) (a supplement to monograph 9 published in 1972).

CONSERVATION, ECOLOGY AND PLANT-HUNTING. An ever-increasing number of books on conservation attempt to make us concerned about the fate of Earth and its inhabitants, both plant and animal. Tropical rain-forest has received particular attention and 1989 saw the publication ofseveral books dealing with various aspects of this important ecosystem. Saving h e Tropical Forests by .J. Gradwohl & R. Greenberg (Island Press, Washington/ Earthscan, London, Pb E6.95) contains case-studies of nearly 40 examples of small-scale successes and provides some solutions to the problems of forest destruction. In Elsevier’s series ‘Ecosystems of the World’ is Tropical Rain Forest Ecocosystems, ed. by H. Lieth & M. J. A. Werger (Elsevier, Dfl. 475) which brings together the writings of a number of scientists, constituting an assessment rather than an answer, but no less valuable for that. The Fate of the Forest: Developers, Destroyers and Dejenders of the Amazon by S. Hecht & A. Cockburn (Verso, Pb E16.95) gives a historical view of the destruction of the Amazon forest and an insight into the political problems which limit succcssful conservation. Brazzlian Ecosystems/Ecossistemas Bras- ileiros by C. T. Rizzini, A. Coimbra-Filho & A. Houaiss (Editora Index, Rio de.Janeiro, E l 6.95) relies for its impact on the spectacular photographs. The text in English and Portuguese draws attention to endangered species and to the damage which has already been inflicted on this fragile environment.

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International Trade in Endangered Species: a guide to C I T E S by D. S. Favre (Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, E72.15) is a detailed guide to the legislation involved in conservation.

Plant Hunting f o r Kew, ed. by N. Hepper (HMSO, Pb E17.95, Hb E25, the latter obtainable only from the Orangery Bookshop, RBG Kew) contains 20 first-hand accounts ofrecent Kew expeditions to all corners of the world, and demonstrates how Kew is maintaining its great tradition ofplant study and introduction. I t is copiously illustrated. Africa’s Mountains o f the Moon by G. Yeoman (Elm Tree Books, L20) is an account of an expedition into the Rwenzori mountains, and contains not only an impressive array of photographs but also 13 water-colour portraits of plants by Cliristabel King who contributes paintings to this Magazine.

Travcllers to the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands should take Natural History Excursions in Tenerfe by M. & P. Ashmole (Kidston Mill Press, Ph C7.95), a most useful guide to the best walks and the plants and animals to be seen.

The California Chaparral, ed. by S . C. Keeley (Nat. Hist. Museum of Los Angeles, price not given) is a series of papers covering many aspects of this vegetation type. Recent information of the study of epiphytes is given in Vascular Plants as Epiphytes: evolution and ecophysiology, ed. by U. Luttge (Springer-Verlag, E55), and Plan1 Canopies: their growth, f o r m and function, ed. by G. Russell et al. (Cambridge Univ. Press, E27.50) surveys present knowledge about this high-level community.

SPECIFIC PLANTS AND PLANT GROIJPS. The Genus Watsonia by P. Goldblatt (National Botanic Gardens, S. Africa, R50) is a useful account ofthis South African genus, illustrated with water-colours by Fay Anderson. Perhaps best-known for his writings on bulbs, Brian Mathew produced the fifth in the scrics of Kcw Magazine Monographs, entitled The Genus Lewisia (Christopher Helm, E l 7.95) which covers current knowledge about these increasingly popular plants.

The long-awaited second volume of The Rhododendron Species by H. H. Dav- idian (Batsford, E50) has finally appeared; it deals with part of the elcpidote species and despite being somewhat at variancc with the most up-to-date classification of Chamberlain & Cullen, contains much useful information. Magnolias: their care and cultivation by J . Gardiner (Cassell, C14.95) has a large clutch of colour photographs and useful information on which magnolias to grow and how to grow them. It is only one of the Casscll Illustrated Monographs to appear last year, the others being Auriculas by B. Hyatt (C12.95) and Begonias (the tuberous ones) by B. Langdon (E12.95), similarly well illustrated.

It was a good year for clematis. Not only did we see the revised edition of Christopher Lloyd’s classic book (Clematis, already reviewed) but Jim Fisk produced a second and much updated edition of The Queen o f Climbers (Casscll, E l 2.95) and Barry Fretwell published Clematis (Collins, E14.95) which contains some especially beautiful photographs.

Strictly botanical are A taxonomic revision of Lamium by J . Mennema in the

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Leiden Botanical Series (Vol. 11) (E. J. Brill, Leiden, D M 92) and Systematics o f Aeonium (Crassulaceae) by H.-Y. Liu (National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan - Special Publication No. 3, no price given). The Genus Utricularia by P. Taylor (HMSO, softback E40) is a monograph ofthis worldwide genus of insectivorous plants. Orchids of Vanuatu by B. Lewis & P. Cribb (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Pb E12) describes all the 158 orchids of the group of islands previously known as the New Hebrides, and includes colour photographs and line drawings. A Guide to Bamboosgrown in Britain by C. S. Chao (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Pb E3.50) describes all the cultivated species and has a key to their identification. Legumes o f the Ilha de Maraca‘by G. P. Lewis & P. E. Owen (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Pb E6.50) describes the 123 species from this area in Brazil.

Pansies, Violas and Sweet Violets by E. Farrar (Hurst Village Publishing, E9.25) covers the history of these increasingly popular plants and gives hints on how to grow them. Waterlilies and other aquatic plants comp. by Stapeley Water Gardens (Collins, E14.95) is a guide, illustrated with colour photographs, to choosing suitable water and marginal plants, as well as giving information on pool construction, pests and diseases and how to plant. The emphasis is on waterlilies (hardy and tropical) but attention is also given to other aquatic and water-loving species, both hardy and tender.

Beautifully illustrated with water-colours by Elise Bodley is Bulbous Plants oJ’Southern Africa by N. du Plrssis & G. Duncan (Tafelberg Pub- lishers, Standard Edn. R150; Collectors’ Edn. R500). I t covers some 700 species and shows the wide range of bulbs found in the area with details of cultivation. Especially valuable is the treatment of the problems of growing these plants when they are transferred to the northern hemisphere. The Carnivorous Plants by B. E. Juniper, R. J. Robins & D. M. Joel (Academic Press, C75) covers in detail all aspects of these fascinating and increasingly popular plants. Also growing in popularity is that ancient group of plants, the Cycads, and 21 ycars of work on these plants have resulted in Cycads of Africa by Douglas Goode (Struik, E60) which presents up-to-date know- ledgr of the 54 African species together with the author’s beautiful colour paintings which include close-ups of the leaves, cones and cone-scales. The third in a series of field-guides to the plants of Chile writtcn by A. E. Hofrmann J., Cactaceas ~ en la jora siluestre de Chile (Ediciones Claudio Gay, price not givcn) is well illustrated with water-colours of cacti, although the names should be accepted with caution. The Slipper Orchids by E. Hennessy & T. Hedge (Acorn Books, R160) features 104 paintings by Esme Hennessy of the most commonly grown species in the genera Selinipedium, Phragmipedium, Criosanthes, Cypripedium and Paphiopedilum and 40 hybrids, as well as detailed information and descriptions.

Ornamental Grass Gardening by T. A. & M. Reinhardt & M. Moskowitz (Macdonald Orbis, E12.95) has lots of colour photographs by Derek Fell and offers advice on using grasses in the garden. Flowering Trees andshrubs by R. Bird (Ward Lock, C14.95) has an A-Z of genera with descriptions, colour photographs and coded information on cultivation. Published in

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1988 in France as Fleurs et Jardins, and now translated into English is The Flower Garden by Anita Pereire (Century Hutchinson, E19.95). It has descriptions of over 2,000 plants arranged alphabetically and lots of colour photographs. An enlarged and revised edition of the profusely illustrated The Bulb Book by R. Phillips & M. Rix (Pan Books, softback E12.99) has appeared and is most welcome.

The RHS has finally produced The International Daffodil Checklist (comp. by S . Kington - El 1.95) which lists all the Narcissus cultivars to date, with short descriptions - an essential reference for breeders and nurserymen, as are all registration lists.

ALPINES AND Rocu-GARmNiNG. The Rock Garden and its Plants ~ f r o m Grotto to Alpine House by G. S . Thomas (Dent, E18) is a detailed history of rock- gardening followed by advice on how to create a modern rock-garden and which plants to grow. Profusely illustrated, but those pictures which are stated to have been enlarged, do not stand up to the enlargement. Nevertheless, an inspiring book which should become a classic. A Manual of Alpine and Rock Garden Plants, ed. by C. Grey-Wilson (Christopher Helm, 214.95) is written with the beginner in mind and lists and describes alpine plants which are commercially available.

HISTORY. Nurserymen to the World by E. J. Willson (E. J. Willson, Pb E6) survcys the 100 or so nurseries which were founded before 1970 in north- wrst Surrey and the Woking area and highlights their contribution to plant introduction.

An Ancient E v p t i a n Herbal by L. Manniche (British Museum Publications Ltd, Pb E9.95) gives information on gardens in ancient Egypt, bouquets and garlands, mummies, recipes, cosmetics, perfumes and medicines. The plants found in Tutankhamen’s tomb are surveyed in Die P’anzenmaterialien aus dem Grab des Tutanchamun by R. Germer (Gerstenberg Verlag, D M 38).

The Fruit, Herbs and Vegetables of Italy by G. Castelvetro (Viking, El 7.95) is a translation of the fascinating and entertaining book written by Castel- vrtro in 1614, with lovely and well-chosen illustrations.

GARDENS. The Edwardian Garden by D. Ottewill (Yale Univ. Press, E24.95) drscribes the history and development of gardens designed from the 1890s to World War I . It is beautifully illustrated and is a well-researched survey of this important period in British garden history. Hidcote by E. Clarke (Michael Joseph, 214.95) relates the story of this famous and popular garden, now owned by the National Trust. Wisley - The Royal Horticultural SocieQ’s Garden by M. & A. Rix (Julian Holland Publishing Ltd, Pb E7.95) is not only a souvenir of this much-visited garden but relates its history.

The Glory o f the English Garden by M. Keen (Barrie &Jenkins, E25) has rxcellrnt colour photographs by Clay Perry and is a record ofover 150 ofthe bcst English gardens. Moments in Eden (Bloomsbury, E16.95) with outstand- ing photographs by the American photographer Richard Brown features

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gardens worldwide. Tfie Scottish Garden published by the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh and Moubrey House Press (E19.95) portrays both public and private gardens in fine colour photographs by Brinsley Burbidge. Portuyuese Gardens by H . Carita & H. Cardoso (Antique Collec- tors’ Club, E39.50) shows some of the lovely and historic gardens of a country where the gardens are perhaps not as well known as they deserve. Private Gardens o f Pa& by M. Cox (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, E30) fcatures 28 gardens (including an extraordinary rooftop vegetable garden) photo- graphed by Philippe Perdercau.

KoJe Gardens by J . Fearnley-Whittingstall (Chatto & Windus, E18) not only has a guide to visiting modern rose gardens and guidance on choosing roses for different situations, but covers the history of rose gardens as well. “here arc numerous well-chosen illustrations. both old and modern.

GENERAL GARDENING. Ifyou want to know how to create effects with foliage t1ien’Leaue.c by M. Jefferson-Brown (David & Charles, C12.95) is full of ideas for year-round schemes, and illustrated with colour photographs and attractive (uncredited) line drawings. Absentre Gardener by S . Pendlcton (Anaya Publishers Ltd., L14.95) offers practical advice for those who have holiday property in Spain and pays special attention to low-maintenance plants.

Alba: lhe Book o f White Flowers by D. Brown (Unwin Hyman, 11 7.95) is illustrated with the author’s fine photographs and is a pot-pourri offact and fantasy; it includes historical anecdotes as well as a useful list of white flowers to grow. Tfie Magic Tree written by member.s of the Devon Group of the NCCPC (Devon Group, L14.95) is subtitled ‘Devon garden plants, history and conservation’ and is just that. I t should be an inspiration to gardeners countrywidc (the Magic Tree is Canlua huxzfilia).

Tree Roots and Buildings by D. Cutler & 1. B. K. Richardson (Longman, 19.95) - a second cdition of a book which should be read by anyone who intends to plant trees near to houscs or walls.

BOTANICAL II .LusrRATioiv AND FLOWER PAINTING. The Reslei- Florilegium (Abrams, L1 10) is a facsimile of Beslcr’s Hortus Eystetlensis published in 1631. There are 373 colour plates, with the 17th century captions, and an English commentary. Ferdinand Rauer: the Australian Natural History Oruwings b y M. F. Norst (British Museum of Natural History, Pb C12) features plants and animals painted between 1801 and 1805 when the artist circum- navigated Australia in HMS Investigator and then stayed on to observe and paint. Some of the paintings are published here for the first time. Nature Zllustrated by B. Mcl’igue (Abrams, L28) selects botanical illustrations from the collections of the New York Public Library to show work produced between 1550 and 1900. Hooker’s Finest Fruit (Herbert Press, L20) repro- duces 100 ofWilliam Hooker’s paintings offruit, a d has descriptive text by F. A. Roach and an appreciation of Hooker’s life and work by W. T. Stearn. The original water-colours are wonderful, but these modern repro- ductions are strangely dull which is a pity.

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The Britidi Museum Book of Flowers by A. Scott-James, R. Uesmond & F. Wood (British Museum Publications, L9.95) celebrates the use, through the ages, of flowers and floral ornament on ceramics, jcwellery, furniture and other objccts, European and Oriental, in the Museum’s collections.

CVildjowers for all .reasons (Crown Publishers Inc., $35) with text by G. ’1. Prance featurcs lovcly water-colours ofNew England wild flowers by Anna Vojtech; thr paintings ofplants in winter which havr gonc to seed arc drlightful. Gilda Uaisley’s curiously titled Herbs International and Illustrated (Chcvprime I,td, L9.95) describes about 40 herbs and givcs information on thcir history and uscs, as wcll as recipcs, but is worth looking at for tlic pleasant water-colours by Ingrid .Jacob which are supplcmrnted by illustrations taken from old herbals. Christine Hart-Davies has provided very pleasing arid accurate water-colours for A Year in a Victorian Garden by H . Bright (Pyramid, L10.95) which is a non-botanical record of a gardcn nrar 1,ivcrpool in the 1870s.

011 thc fririgc of botanical illustration is The Zri.r ~ The Rainbow Flower (‘l’lianics & Hudson, C24) with 80 pages of colour photographs by Josh Mlcstrich which celebrate the beauty of the tall bearded iris. Nalure in Miniature (Thamrs & Hudson, C22.50) prrsents 128 beautiful close-up colour photographs by Andreas Fcininger - animal, vcgctahle arid mineral. Vun Gogh’.! l;/’lower.r by J. Bumpus (Phaidon, C17.50) has 43 (37 in colour) of the paintings offlowers, some wcll known, others not so.

7’wo final books which do not fit into any of thc above categories. Spccializrd but useful is Morphology ofFlowers and Injorescences by F. Webcr- ling- translated by Pankhurst from Morphologie der Bluten und der Blulenstande, 1981 (Cambridgc Univ. Press, C55). I t is a thorough survry which covers the work carried out by Troll as wcll as more rrcent investigation and interprrtation. The black-and-whitc drawings arc wonderfully clear. The Herbarium Handbook, cd. by L. Forman & 1). Bridson (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kcw, softback C 1 2 ) should be read and studied carefully by all who work in herbaria or aspire to, or who deal with pressed plants. Thcrc arc uscfill hints on collecting plants and a most helpful scction (arranged by family) on which parts of the plant are essential either to collect or record. Tlic book docs not tcll you how to undcrtake taxonomic rescarch, but docs tcll you cvrrything you ever wanted to know about the running of a herbarium, b u t were afraid to ask!

BOOK REVIEWS

Ornamental Grasses. Rogcr Grounds. viii + 232 pp., 20 colour plates, 35 figures. Christopher Helm, 1,ondon. 1989. ISBN 0 7470 1219 9. C19.95.

This book is remarkable for the depth and breadth of information which it presents. ‘ l h c first four Chapters on cultivation and uses are admirable; they demonstrate the author’s intimate knowledge of grasses as garden plants and his obvious delight in the varicty oflocations which can bc found

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