Masters, M. T. (1881). Nepenthes rajah Hook. f., sp. nov. Card. Chron. (ser. 2, XVI) 2: 492, ic. 91.

Phillipps, A. & Lamb, A. (1988). Pitcher-plants of East Malaysia and Brunei. Nature Malaysiana 13(4): 8-27.

Smythies, B. E. (1965). The distribution and ecology of pitcher-plants (Nepenthes) in Sarawak. UNESCO Humid Tropics Symposium, 1963. Kuching.

St. John, S. (1863). Lfe in the forests of the Far East. Vol. 1. Smith, Elder and Co., London.

Veitch, H. J. (1897). Nepenthes. J . Roy. Hort. Soc. 21: 2.

BOOKS OF 1990

Victoria Matthews

FIELD-GUIDES AND FLORAS. Atlas of the British Flora by F. Perring & M. Walters (BSBI, Pb L22.50) is a reduced in size reprint of the 1982 printing to satisfy an on-going demand until the new edition is ready sometime in 1995 or after. I t has a new index and bibliography, but no changes in nomenclature or taxonomy. The cover photography (of the Lodden lily) is quite extraordinarily bad! Field Guide to the Trees of Britain and northern Europe by D. Sutton (Kingfisher, Pb E7.95) covers over 400 native and introduced trees and includes short descriptions, uses, cultivars, and gives identification characters in reference panels. It is well illustrated with paintings. Collins Photographic Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean by I. & P. Schonfelder (Collins, L14.95) describes over 1,000 species and contains 500 photographs. There is a general introduction, a key to families, and descriptions.

Volume 2 ofFlora Iberica ed. by S. Castroviejo et al. (Real Jardin Botinico, CSIC, no price given) covers the families Platanaceae to Plumbaginaceae. Flora Neotropica (New York Botanical Garden): Monograph 2 1 (11) - Lecyth- idaceae, part I1 by S. A, Mori & G. T. Prance; Monograph 52-Sapotaceae by T. D. Pennington (no prices given), continue this worthy series. Flora of Ecuador (published by the Nordic Journal of Botany) issued the Theophras- taceae, Primulaceae and Plumbaginaceae (E 13.95). The Illustrated Flora of Illinois: Nightshades to Mistletoe by R. H. Mohlenbrock (Southern Illinois Univ. Press, $39.95) is the sixth volume of dicots in the series (five vols. of monocots have appeared already).

Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai’i by W. L. Wagner, D. R. Herbst & S. H. Sohmer (Univ. of Hawai’i Press, 2 Vols. L85) is a most welcome production - both native and naturalized plants are described and keyed and synonyms and vernacular names are given. There are lots of line drawings: every genus is illustrated and over half the species. Worth acquiring ifyour interest in Hawai’i is confined to Niihau is a A Chronicle and Flora of Niihau by J. R. Wichman & H. St. John (National Tropical Botanical Garden, Pb, no price given) which presents a history of this small island followed by a section on the flora with keys and descriptions.

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Volume 18 of the Flora of Australia ed. by A. S. George (Australian Govt. Publishing Service, Canberra, 630) contains the families Podostemaceae to Combretaceae. Volume 5, Gr-J, of the Encyclopedia of Australian Plants by W. R. Elliot & D. L. Jones (Lothian Publishing Co., E42) continues this impressive set of volumes which catalogues horticulturally desirable Australian plants which are suitable for cultivation. Field Guide to the Euca(ypts of south-western and southern Australia by M. I. H. Brooker & D. A. Kleinig (Inkata Press, A$76.95) is both useful and well illustrated and includes some of the more spectacular species of rhis huge genus.

Vol. 3 of the Flora of Ethiopia ed. by I. Hedberg & S. Edwards (National Herbarium, Addis Ababa UnivJDept. of Systematic Botany, Uppsala, Pb approx. E39) appeared in February 1990 despite the published date of 1989. I t is the first volume to appear, covers families Pittosporaceae to Araliaceae (including Rosaceae, Fabaceae and many woody families) and is illustrated with line drawings. A further part of Flore de Madagascar et des Comores - Gentianactes et Menyanthactes by J. Klackenberg (Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, no price given) has appeared. Flora Zambesiaca ed. by E. Launert & G. V. Pope (Natural History Museum) Vol. 7 part 4 contains the families Canellaceae, Gentianaceae, Menyanthaceae, Hydro- phyllaceae and Boraginaceae (E20); Vol. 8 part 2 covers the Scrophularia- ceae (E28). Part 3 of the Orchidaceae for the Flora of Tropical East Africa ed. by R. M. Polhill (Balkema, E19.50) was published in 1990 (although the title-page states 1989). Flowers of the Natal Drakensberg; the l i b , iris and orchid

families and their allies by 0. M. Hilliard (Univ. of Natal Press, Pb, no price given) is a useful field-guide to the petaloid monocots of the area with keys, descriptions, colour photographs and clear line drawings.

TreesandShrubsoftheSudan by H. M. El Amin (IthacaPress, PbE14.95) is a basic guide with descriptions and over 150 black-and-white drawings. Field Guide to the Forest Trees of Ghana by W. Hawthorne (ODA, no price given) is a practical guide for foresters and compriSes a huge, detailed illustrated key to 674 species, which includes lots of useful facts. The clear drawings are by Rosemary Wise. Trees ofNigeria by R. W. J. Keay (Oxford Univ. Press, E50) is a revised edition ofNigerian Trees by Keay et al . , (1960, 1964) and was published in February 1990 despite stating 1989 inside. There are descriptions with distributions, habitat notes and vernacular names, as well as keys and line drawings.

CONSERVATION, ECOLOGY AND PLANT-HUNTING. A n Introduction to Tropical Rainforests by T. C. Whitmore (Oxford Univ. Press, Pb E16.95) is aimed at a wide audience and considers the structure, function and value to man of this threatened vegetation type. The author uses examples from all parts of the humid tropics. The Last Rain Forests ed. by M. Collins and introduced by David Attenborough (Mitchell Beazley in collaboration with IUCN, El 7.99) is a survey of the world’s rain-forest areas, what they are, why we need them and how to preserve them. World Plant Conservation Bibliography comp. by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Threatened Plants Unit, WCMC (E15) contains over 10,000 references to published literature and is

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indispensable to plant conservationists, both at national and international levels.

North American Terrestrial Vegetation ed. by M. G. Barbour & W. D. Bill- ings (Cambridge Univ. Press, Pb E20) describes the major vegetation types and addresses environmental issues and management problems. Each chapter has an extensive bibliography. Tidal Marsh Plants by L. N. Eleuter- ius (Pelican Publishing Co., $24.95) is a guide to 200 plants found in the salt-marshes of the south-east USA. There are line drawings and 95 small, bad colour photographs.

Himalayan Enchantment: an anthology by F. Kingdon-Ward. ed. by J. White- head (Serindia, E16.95) is a collection of extracts from the writings of ‘the last of the great plant-hunters’.

SPECIFIC PLANTS AND PLANT GROUPS. In 1976 a decision was taken to produce a modern, comprehensive treatise ofvascular plant taxonomy at the generic level which would assemble information from all the disciplines which contribute to modern taxonomy. Thus The Families and Genera of Vascular Plantsed. by K. Kubitzki was conceived, andVol. 1 (ed. by K. U. Kramer & P. S. Green - Springer, DM298), which covers the Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms appeared in 1990. The treatment is indeed encylopaedic, and identification keys are provided. A wealth ofdata, albeit mostly academic, is collected in the 35 chapters of Evolution, Systematics and Fossil History of the Hamamelidaeed. by P. R. Craneand S. Blackmore (Oxford Univ. Press, Vol. 1 $90, Vol. 2 $98). Biology and Utilization of the Cucurbitaceae by D. M. Bates et al . , (Cornell Univ. Press, US9669.50) brings together papers arranged in sections on systematics and ecology, comparative morphology, sex expres- sion, utilization, and crop improvement and protection. There is a useful outline classification by C. Jeffrey.

Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies by J. E. Burrows (Frandsen, R2 15.95, E60) is a well-illustrated compendium with some 350 photographs as well as line drawings and 300 maps. The Structural B io loo of Palms by P. B. Tomlin- son (Oxford Univ. Press, E60) is a detailed survey of the functional morpho- logy ofthe palms, and traces their temporal development in biological terms.

Illustrated Guide of the genus Astragalus in Iran Vol. 1 by A. A. Maassoumi (Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, DM150, US3680) describes 100 species in this huge genus, and includes maps and line drawings. Pansies, Violas and Violettas - the complete guide by R. Fuller (Cro- wood, E14.95) covers all aspects of these increasingly popular plants and includes lists ofspecies and cultivars with briefdescriptions. The GloryofRoses by A. Lacy (Stewart Tabori & Chang, €30) celebrates the rose and is copiously illustrated with photographs by Christopher Baker which unfor- tunately often suffer from inferior printing. The Love of Roses by G. Rose & P. King (Quiller Press, E14.95) covers many aspects of the history and botany of roses and attempts to ‘disentangle truth from fiction’. There are chapters on uses, symbolism, names, women, love, art and literature: altogether a diverting survey. Cox’s Guide to choosing Rhododendrons by P. & K. Cox (Batsford, E14.95) describes over 100 species and 200 hybrids and

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gives information on cultivation and lists of recommended plants. There are 125 colour photographs. A most useful book for anyone wishing to collect rhododendrons.

Hosta - the Flowering Foliage Plant by D. Grenfell (Batsford, 629.95) covers the history of the genus and describes the species and cultivars. There are chapters on uses, cultivation, and pests and diseases. The 48 colour plates include a few bad photographs which should not have been passed for publication, but the pencil drawings by Jenny Brasier are lovely. This book is primarily for gardeners - botanists will notice a number of silly mistakes and inconsistencies. The Japanese Iris by C. McEwen (Univ. Press of New England, 220.70) covers the history, cultivation and breeding of I . ensata (syn. I . kaempfeeri) and its many cultivars. Himalayan Cobra Lilies by U. C. Pradhan (Primulaceae Books, US$22) is an account of the Hima- layan species ofdrisaema. All the species are described and keyed and there are cultivation details and line drawings. Lilies: their care and cultivation by M. Jefferson-Brown (Cassell, E 14.95) covers the history, morphology, and cultivation of lilies and describes some of the more popular species and Cultivars. Most of the many fine colour photographs are by Andrew Lawson. This is one of the Cassell Illustrated Monographs which in 1990 included Old-fashioned Roses by A. Beales, Orchids by D. Leigh and Herbs by S. & J. Hopkinson. New titles in Collins Aura Garden Handbooks are Herbaceous Perennials by D. Joyce, Plants f o r Shade by E. Arter, Houseplants by W. Davidson and Orchids by M. Pottinger. Costing E2.25 each, they are good basic guides, although the naming of the plants is not always up to date.

Dendrobiums: an introduction to the species in cultivation by S. Schelpe & J. Stewart (Orchid Sundries, Pb E12.95) is a systematic survey of the cultivated species in this large genus. There is information on cultivation, and plenty of colour photographs. Vol. 2 of The Cattleyas and their relatives (Timber Press, E25) deals with 59 species of Laelia and resolves some of their nomenclatural confusion.

Grasses of Southern Africa by G. E. Russell et al. (National Botanic GardedBotanical Research Institute, no price given) is an identification manual with keys and descriptions, line drawings and maps. Ornamental Grasses and Grasslike Plants by A. J. Oakes (Van Nostrand Reinhold, X49) is divided into four sections - ornamental grasses, bamboos, grasslike plants (including Convallaria!) and rushes and sedges. There is much useful information on uses and cultivation, but some of the names are out of date and the black-and-white illustrations are not particularly helpful. Tropical Bamboo by M. Villegas (Rizzoli, E29.95) is an account of the myriad uses of Barnbusa guadua in Colombia, lavishly illustrated with an impressive collection of colour photographs.

Carnivorous Plants: care and cultivation by M. Lecoufle (Blandford, E16.95) is illustrated with spectacular colour photographs and describes the 35 principal cultivated species. In addition there is information on the history and distribution of carnivorous plants and details of how they catch their prey - the book is clearly laid out.

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The Gardener’s Illustrated Encyclopediza of Climbers and Wall Shrubs by B. Dav- ies (Viking, E18.99) describes over 2,000 species and cultivars which are commercially available, together with brief notes on their origin, uses, cultivation and problems. There are over 600 colour photographs. Thirty cultivated shrubs and small trees are described in Arbustos y arbolillos en

jardines Almeriensis by G. Kunkel (Ediciones Alternativas, Pb, no price given), and illustrated by line drawings. Shrubs f o r tropical and subtropical gardens by H. Oakman (Jacaranda Press, no price given) is an A - Z dictionary ofshrubs, offering help in selection and good colour photographs.

ALPINES AND ROCK-GARDENING. Cuttings from a Rock Garden ed. by N. Singer (Atlantic Monthly Press, $29.95, E18.25) is a collection ofextracts from the writings of the late Lincoln and Laura Louise (Timmy) Foster, pre-eminent among America’s rock-gardeners. Illustrated with lovely pen-and-ink draw- ings by Timmy.

HISTORY. Pharaoh’s Flowers by F. N. Hepper (HMSO, Pb 29.95) is a fascinating and well-illustrated account of the plant-remains found in Tutankhamun’s tomb.

London’s Pride ed. by M. Galinou (Anaya, Hb E25, Pb E12.95) was produced to accompany and expand on the exhibition of the same name at the Museum of London. Subtitled ‘The glorious history of the capital’s gardens’ it contains contributions from several authors on such diverse titles as ‘Citizens, gardens and meanings’, ‘Flowers and plants of the early seventeeth century’, ‘Gardening and the middle classes’ and ‘Commercial horticulture in Victorian London’, all beautifully illustrated. Eminent Gardeners by J. Brown (Viking, E14.99) describes the lives and work ofsome of the lesser-known garden designers of the present century.

Subtitled ‘The 400 million year story of Australia’s plants’, The Flowering of Gondwana by M. E. White (Princeton Univ. Press, $49.50) covers the history of Australian plants from the beginning to the coming of the white man. There are many spectacular photographs of plant fossils. Papers given at a conference in Melbourne in 1988 have been published in History of systematic botany in Australasia ed. by P. S. Short (Australian Systematic Botany SOC. Inc., A$75). There is a lot offascinating information on plant- collectors, and the sections on cultivated plants and botanical art should be of interest to readers of Kew Magazine. Natal the Garden Colony by D. P. & P. A. McCracken (Frandsen Publishers, R68.85, E17.50, US$31.50) de- scribes the history ofNatal and the links with Kew Gardens which promoted botanical exploration in the colony.

ECONOMIC PLANTS. Plants f o r People by A. Lewington (Natural History Museum Publications, 219.95) shows the many ways in which man uses plants and is dependant upon the plant kingdom. Copiously illustrated with over 200 colour photographs, it is packed with fascinating facts and is a real eye-opener. Herbs by R. Phillips & N. Foy (Pan, E16.95) is attractively produced and considers over 400 herbs, their uses and cultivation, and warns

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of any associated dangers. Well-illustrated with photographs, the herbs are arranged in order of their flowering. Herbs by M. Forsell (Anaya, E16.95), subtitled ‘a complete guide to growing, cooking, healing and pot-pourri’, covers 45 herbs only: the photographs are good. A Fountain of Gardens: Plants andHerbsoftheBible by W. Paterson (Mainstream, E19.95) describes the past and present uses ofthe plants mentioned in the Bible, and is illustrated with plates mostly taken from Flora Danica, Flora Londinensis and Flora Graeca.

Useful Plants of Ghana by D. K. Abbiw (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kewl Intermediate Technology Publications, Hb 630, Pb E9.95) documents the useful species of Ghana by categories such as food, fuel, medicines and construction, and gives Ghanaian vernacular names as well as scientific ones. The Healing Forest by R. E. Schultes & R. F. Raffauf (Dioscorides Press, $59.95) deals with the medicinal and toxic plants of north-west Amazonia. Almost 1,500 species and variants are included and there are monochrome illustrations.

GARDENS. Paradeisos: the Art of the Garden by G. Bazin (Cassell, E30) traces the development of gardens as a major form of artistic expression, using 170 examples from around the world. It is well-illustrated, but the subject is too large for the size ofthe book and there are many omissions. The Renaissance of Italian Gardens by L. de’ Medici (Pavillion, E25) describes 25 Renaissance gardens in Italy, beautifully photographed by John Ferro Sims. The Italian Renaissance Garden by C. Lazzaro (Yale Univ. Press, E45) features both well- known and lesser known Italian gardens of the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries: the four best-preserved examples are treated in detail. The conventions of planting and design of the period are covered and the book is beautifully illustrated with modern photographs and contemporary prints and drawings. The Gardens of Tuscany by E. Clarke & R. Bencini (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, E12.95) records the gardens of Siena, Lucca and Florence. French Garden Style by G. LtvEque & M.-F. Valtry (Frances Lincoln, E29.95) features over 30 gardens, both large and small, and shows the wide range ofstyles from the many regions ofFrance, illustrated withover 250 photos by Georges Ltvtque.

Private Gardens of London by A. Lennox-Boyd (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, E25) is illustrated with photographs by John Miller and features 39 gardens, both large and small. Sissinghurst:portraitofagarden by J. Brown (Weidenfeld & Nicolson in assoc. with The National Trust, E l 5) records the history both of this famous house and the garden created by Vita Sackville-West in the 1930s. The fine photos by John Miller record the year-round moods of this much-visited garden. The Cottage Garden- Margery Fish at East Lambrook Manor by S. Chivers & S. Woloszynska (John Murray, E13.95) is an account ofthe life of this justly famous plantsman, and the garden she created.

The Cottage Garden by G. S. Thomas & R. Bird (Dorling Kindersley, E14.99) is a history ofthe British cottage garden which was a working garden full of herbs and vegetables as well as decorative plants. Typical structures such as rustic arbours and fencing are discussed and the authors offer advice on how to create a modern, practical cottage garden which combines plants

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with suitable features and even livestock. The book is beautifully set out and illustrated.

Westonbirt - the Forestry Commission’s Jinest Arboretum by D. Bown Uulian Holland, Pb E8.95) is an illustrated history of the Arboretum and a guide through the seasons. The Greatest Glasshouse by S. Minter (HMSO, E25) tells the history of the famous Palm House at Kew and how i t was restored to its former glory and re-opened last November. The rich collection of tropical plants housed there is described and illustrated.

Private Gardens of Australia by S. Guest (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, E35) features 40 gardens which are as varied as the different climatic regions in which they were developed.

GENERAL GARDENING. The third edition of Perennial Garden Plants or The Modern Florilegium by G. S. Thomas (Dent/Weidenfeld in assoc. with RHS, E20) is most welcome. It is a revised and expanded account of over 2,000 species, together with many hybrids and cultivars.

The White Garden by D. Grenfell& R. Grounds (Crowood, E14.95) describes how to plan and design agardenofwhiteflowers, suggests suitable plants and gives information on cultivation. It is disappointing in that the colour photographs are badly printed, and the beautiful paintings of white flowers by Jenny Jowett suffer from being printed on paper so thin that the text shows through. Good Planting by R. Verey (Francis Lincoln, E18.95) is a guide to companion planting, and also considers the changing appearance of the plants through the seasons and as the garden matures. There are over 300 magnificent photos by Andrew Lawson which are some of the best to appear in recent years and inspire one to rush immediately into the garden and plan new combinations. A most cheerful book for dark winter days. The Making of Town Gardens by D. Kellaway (Macmillan, E14.95) is a readable guide to producing a variety of gardens, often in a restricted space, in the urban environment.

The Mediterranean Gardener by H. Latymer (Frances Lincoln in assoc. with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, E15.95) is essential reading for anyone who gardens in the Mediterranean. The author (who runs a nursery in Majorca and has vast experience) covers the problems of gardens of all sizes and positions and suggests a variety of designs, as well as describing over 300 suitable plants to grow. A criticism is the occasional use oftrinomials: on the other hand, the fine photographs inspire lots of ideas. The Milder Garden by J. Taylor (Dent, E18) is apracticalguide to the more tenderplantswith many suggestions for display. I t needs more and better illustrations.

BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION AND FLOWER PAINTING. A Prospect of Irish Flowers by W. Walsh (Blackstaffpress, E350) contains 10 superb water-colourportraits offlowers from Irish Gardens with text by E. Charles Nelson. Hand-bound, the front and back boards are covered in a French paper which incorporates tiny wild flowers (not to be exposed to light!): the edition is limited to 125 copies.

Flower Artists ofKew by W. T. Stearn (Herbert Press in assoc. with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, E18.95) features the work of 19 twentieth-century

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botanical artists in 56 colour plates, each with a commentary by Professor Stearn who also provides a historical survey of botanical illustration. The meticulous paintings of flowers and fruit in oil and tempera of Eliot Hodgkin, who died in 1987 at the age of 7 1 , now command high prices and remain an inspiration to students of naturalistic painting. A retrospective exhibition of the paintings was held in 1990 at Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox, 38 Bury St., London, who produced a comprehensive and beautifully illustrated catalogue entitled Eliot Hodgkin 1905-1987: Painter &f’ Collector (E10). Marianne North at Kew Gardens by L. Ponsonby (Webb & Bower in assoc. with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, E15.95) is a readable account of the life and travels of this Victorian artist whose paintings are housed in the Marianne North Gallery at Kew. The book is illustrated with many colour reproductions of her paintings. The Australian Ellis Rowan (1848-1922) met Marianne North in 1880 and was greatly influenced by her. Her water-colour paintings of flowers show something of this influence and 125 of them, together with a biography, are published in Ellis Rowan - afiwer- hunter in Queensland by J. McKay (Queensland Museum, Pb, no price given). The Flowers of May with an introduction and notes by R. Mabey (Collins & Brown, E16.95) is a selection of some of the unexceptional paintings of British wild flowers by Caroline May (1809-74). The RedoutiAlbum by M. & A. Rix (Studio Editions, E12.95) reproduces 59 colour plates taken from a number of Redoutt’s published works plus one unpublished painting - the reproduction is adequate. The authors have written a short account of Redoutt’s life, and notes on the plants depicted. Redoutk’s Roses (Words- worth Editions in assoc. with the Natural History Museum, E40) has 167 reproductions of these most famous roses, each accompanied by a short text.

Flowering Plants by Toko Toyooka (Seiseisha, no price given) comprises two volumes of some of the paintings of flowers by this Japanese artist who lived from 1877 to 1921. The paintings are arranged according to the flowering times of the plants depicted.

Art in Bloom by E. Forshay (Phaidon, E14.95) contains reproductions of 40 paintings offlowers from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Described on the flyleaf as ‘a visual extravaganza’ the book offers work from such diverse painters are Isaac Sprague (irises) and Richard Earlon (Liliurn superbum) to Monet’s waterlilies, Demuth’s zinnias and daisies and O’Keefe’s white rose and larkspur.

Nature’s Chaos by J. Gleick (Scribners, E16.95) presents some of the stunning photographs of Eliot Porter, known internationally for his portrayal of the natural world. The images cover five continents over a period of 35 years and illustrate, both by close-up and long shot, Porter’s theory that ‘beauty lies in disorder’. Flowers by R. Mapplethorpe (Little, Brown & Co., E30, US$50) contains 50 colour photographs offlowers, with a predominance of arum lilies and orchids. The pictures, usually of a flower in a vase, are stark and of little interest; they perhaps say more about the photographer than the flower, and the upside-down orchids are especially irritating. The book has an unbelievably pretentious foreword.

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A book which doesn’t really fit into the above groups is By Pen andBy Spade- an anthology of garden writing from Hortus ed. by D. Wheeler (Alan Sutton, E16.95). It is a collection of some of the best articles published in the quarterly journal Hortus since its inception in 1987. Also ‘unclassified’ is the second volume of the beautifully illustrated Oak Spring Garden Library catalogues by S. Raphael. An Oak Spring Pomona (Oak Spring Garden Library, E40, USSSO) features 100 books and mss. on fruit from the collection of rare books formed by Mrs Paul Mellon, and should be in the collection of anyone with an interest in illustrated books.

BOOK REVIEWS

The Chelsea Gardener: Philip Miller 1691-1771. Hazel Le Rougetel. 212 pp., 16 colour plates, numerous monochrome illustrations. Natural History Museum Publications, London. 1990. ISBN 0-565-01 1014. 614.95.

Philip Miller was in charge of the Chelsea Physic Garden from 1722 to 1770. He was appointed to the position by Sir Hans Sloane, and his Gardeners Dictionary was dedicated to Sir Hans. It is as the author of the Gardeners Dictionary that Miller is probably best remembered - it was the most monumental and important eighteenth-century horticultural public- ation, and ran to eight editions. Through these editions the introduction of foreign plants into Britain between 1821 and 1868 can be traced. The Dictionary was translated at various dates into Dutch, German and French. It was in the eighth edition that Miller adopted the binomial nomenclatural system of Linnaeus and the work contains many new name combinations: Miller did not always agree with Linnaeus’ generic concepts.

Miller contributed to the Catalogus Plantarum of 1730, produced by the Society of Gardeners, and in 1730 edited Catalogus Plantarum Oficinalium suae in Horto Botanic0 Chelseano aluntur. His Gardener’s Kalendar of 1732 [ 173 11 appeared in 16 further editions.

The exotic plants grown in the Chelsea Garden attracted botanical illustrators, and the author considers the contributions which some of them made to the publications of the time. G. D. Ehret (1 708-1770) who was married to Miller’s sister-in-law, Susanna Kennet, drew many Chelsea- grown plants for Trew’s Plantae Selectae, Hortus Nitidissirnus and Plantae Rariores. Elizabeth Blackwell painted in the Chelsea Garden and drew and engraved the plates for A Curious Herbal in 1737-39, in a successful attempt to free her husband from a debtor’s prison. She used the plants in the Chelsea Garden as models for her illustrations. Mrs Delaney (known for her portraits of flowers made of paper mosaics) copied some plants of the plants which grew in the Chelsea Garden. Between 1755 and 1760, Figures of Plants appeared which contained 300 coloured engravings by Ehret, J. Bartram, W. Houston, R. Lancake and J. S. Miller.

Perhaps one of Miller’s greatest services to the Chelsea Garden was the knowledge he gained from his large circle of friends and correspondents,

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