In The Name of Plants

Natural History Museum
Discover the stories of remarkable plants and the people behind the plant names. Arranged alphabetically, 30 fascinating essays explore the origin of plant names, from Adansonia to Wuacanthus. Discover stories of adventure, rivalry, espionage, exploration, and scientific enquiry to learn about the explorers, botanists and collectors from whom we have come to know our favourite garden species. Weaving plants, taxonomy, history, and science, discover the illustrious names which have come to describe whole genera, as well as lesser-known names of a single species. Learn about the Cherokee Sequoyah (c.1770-1843) whose name now encompasses the great redwoods of the Sierra Nevada; the intrepid Alice Eastwood (1859-1953) for whom the yellow aster, Eastwoodia elegans, is named; and through to modern-day examples, including the fern named after Lady Gaga, and Sirdavidia, a delicate rainforest plant from Gabon in central Africa, named for Sir David Attenborough. Richly illustrated with photographs, portraits, and botanical studies from the Museum’s Library, this diverting look at plant names will entertain, startle and make visits to the garden centre even more engaging.

Hardback
23.5 x 18cm
192 pages
With colour and black-and-white illustrations
FSC accredited paper