Rare, antiquarian, used & out-of-print books on plant hunting, plant hunters, botanical collectors, botanical explorers at Horizon Books.

AITCHISON, J. E. T.; The Botany of the Afghan Delimitation Commission. London, Transactions of the Linnaean Society, 1887, First edition, 4to [30.5 x 24 cm]; 139 pp, 48 fine and detailed lithographed plates, 2 folding maps showing the author's route, contemporary black cloth, gilt spine title lettering, covers a little rubbed, signature on endpaper, a very good sound copy.

The author collected 800 species and 10,000 specimens, of which he estimates 100 are new to science. He traveled extensively through eastern Persia and Afghanistan in 1184 and 1885 and describes the vegetation, his itinerary and the plants he collected.

US$240. bookID # 9964

BECCARI, Odoardo; Wanderings in the Great Forests of Borneo; Travels and Researches of a Naturalist in Sarawak. London, Archibald Constable & Co., 1904, First edition, 8vo [23 x 15 cm]; xxiv, 424 pp, frontis, 61 illustrations including many full-page, mostly from photos, 3 folding maps, some drawings, index, original pictorial cloth, gilt spine title lettering and gilt picture on front cover, top edge gilted, endpaper bookplate, no tears of maps, near fine and clean.

An important book by one of the great botanical explorers and naturalists of the nineteenth century, the Italian botanist, spent time at Kew, where he met Charles Darwin, William Joseph Hooker and James Brooke, the Rajah of Sarawak. The latter lead him to spending 3 years from 1865 to 1868 undertaking research in Sarawak, Brunei and other islands off present-day Malaysia and New Guinea, where he discovered many new species of palms, and many other plants such as a phosphorescent fungus that was bright enough to read a newspaper placed by it. Beccari was in Sarawak during 1865-67 where he collected over 800 bird skins including 40 not previously discovered of unrecorded species. He describes nature, the people, Dyaks and their customs in some detail, prior to the major impacts of the twentieth century, and describes his return to Sarawak some 20 years later, where he formed a botanical garden. He discovered the titan arum, the plant with the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world, in Sumatra in 1878. This edition also contains the valuable and detailed appendix on the forests of Borneo, which are currently being logged to extinction. The preface is by naturalist F. H. H. Guillemard who also wrote a book of his travels in the area. The later reprint does not include the maps of the original.

US$950. bookID # 13129

BOWERS, Clement Gray with illustrations in color by Franck Taylor Bowers & pen drawings by author; Rhododendrons and Azaleas; their Origins, Cultivation and Development. New York, The Macmillan Company, 1936, First Edition, 4to [26 x 19 cm]; xiv, 549 pp, color frontis, 27 other color plates from paintings, 12 half tone plates, end paper colored maps, showing locations of rhododendrons in the old world and America, illustrations in text, bibliog, index, original cloth with gilt vignette on front cover and gilt spine title lettering, slight foxing in few margins, near fine and clean copy in good dj (lightly chipped at edges, lightly rubbed, not price clipped).

An important and detailed book covering all aspects of cultivation and the origin of different species, with bibliography, appendices (pests, new introductions, geographical distribution, lists of species, etc). Still a fine reference with descriptions of hundreds of species and varieties, with very attractive plates.

US$40. bookID # 13813

BOYLE, Frederick; The Woodlands Orchids, Described and Illustrated with Stories of Orchid-Collecting. London, Macmillan and Co, 1901, First Edition, 4to [24 x 19 cm]; ix, 274 pp, 16 chromolithographed plates including the frontis from paintings by J. L. Macfarlane, portrait of J. Coles, index, orig pictorial gilt cloth, gilt title on cover and spine, gilt vignette of orchid on cover, a. e. g., cover slightly rubbed, minor foxing on some leaves, mostly marginal, hinges cracking but firm, endpaper inscription, very good copy, interior excellent.

Boyle wrote several books on orchids, of which this is his scarcest and most attractive, especially the colored plates. The stories of how the orchids were found are quite interesting. Most chapters include lists and descriptions of numerous orchid species and hybrids. Massachusetts Horticultural Society Catalogue 35. The plates include Zygo-Colax, Laelias, Cattleyas, Lycaste, Cypripediums, Odontoglossums.

US$180. bookID # 11679

BURDETT, F. D., edited and annotated by Percy J. King; The Odyssey of an Orchid Hunter. London, Herbert Jenkins, [1930], First edition, 8vo [22 x 14.5 cm]; 317 pp, frontis (port), plus 15 plates from photos, index, map of Philippine Islands on endpapers, original cloth, slightly rubbed at corner, small dent at cover edge, lightly foxed on few leaves, mainly marginal, but a very good, solid and tight copy.

Burdett was one of the first prospectors of the Kimberley goldrush, a pearl hunter, explorer and orchid collector who explored coral reefs and jungles for some forty years. In this work, the author travelled in the jungles of the Philippines and describes the jungle, the peoples, nature, his adventures and the finding of some orchids among other things, including ancient artifacts. He was also the author of The Odyssey of a Pearl Hunter.

US$110. bookID # 8678

CHUNG, In_Cho; The Arctic and Rockies as Seen by a Botanist; Pictorial. Williamsport, Pennsylvania, by the author, 1984, First edition, published in only 500 copies, 4to [26 x 18 cm]; 343 pp, 2 tipped-in errata sheets at end, 574 fine colored photo illustrations, detailed bibliog, index, map endpapers, original cloth, gilt lettering on spine and cover, original slipcase with title lettering, not issued with a dust jacket, flat signed by the author on the title page, clean and fine, unmarked.

Fine photos of vegetation and plants from the Rockies, from the Brooks Range of Alaska, through the Yukon and south to Colorado, and from the Arctic, mainly south of the 75th parallel of latitude including Baffin, Victoria and Banks islands and northern Alaska. Valuable for its many fine photos and descriptions

US$160. bookID # 12327

CLIFTON, Mrs. Talbot [Violet]; Pilgrims to the Isles of Penance; Orchid Gathering in the East. London, John Long, [1911], First edition, 8vo [22.5 x 15 cm]; 320 pp, frontis, 54 illustrations from photos on plates, foldout map of Philippine Islands, South China Sea to Siam, Sumatra showing route in red, with the errata sheet (often lacking), index, title page printed in red and black, original cloth with gilt spine title lettering, lightly foxed at outer edge, signature of R. G. Pennington on endpaper, a very good copy.

Robinson 233. The author and her husband Talbot, a restless and dissatisfied explorer, went plant hunting in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and although the main purpose of the expedition, the author describes their travels to Rangoon, Siam, Singapore, Batavia and all parts in between as well with good descriptions of the peoples, their customs, conditions, etc, with plant hunting forming a small part of the book.

US$170. bookID # 8842

COOPER, R. E. et al (ed); Man Hunts and Plant Hunts, Being the Adventures of George Forrest, V. M. H. Explorer and Botanist who by his Discoveries and Plants Successfully Introduced has greatly enriched our gardens, 1873-1932. Edinburgh, The Scottish Rock Garden Club, [1935], First edition, there was a reprint in 1973, 8vo [23 x 17 cm]; 89 pp, frontis (port), numerous plates from photos, bibliog, original green cloth with gilt title lettering on spine, dj (spine worn and chipped, tears), name on endpaper, else near fine and clean copy in worn dj (which is often absent).

Forrest collected plants in Western China, Upper Burma and Eastern Tibet from 1904 to 1932 and introduced many new plants, especially rhododendrons and primulas, but many others. He made seven expeditions to Yunnan and he died during the seventh. 'George Forrest was the first man to bring business methods into the pursuit of plant collecting' (Cox, Plant Hunting in China). An interesting and important book on one of the most significant plant collectors of the 20th century. Some of the material has been extracted from periodicals that Forrest contributed to, a list of which is included at the end of the book, and some of the material has been contributed by The Scottish Rock Garden Club, which did the editing.

US$60. bookID # 13890

COWAN, Dr. J. Macqueen; The Journeys and Plant Introductions of George Forrest. London, The Royal Horticultural Society, 1952, First Edition, 8vo [25 x 16 cm]; xi, 252 pp, frontis (portrait), numerous illustrations from photos and drawings, 5 colour plates, colour fldg map, appendix of his rhododendrons, index, original cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover, dj (slightly soiled on rear, not price clipped), bookplate in endpaper else fine & clean in near fine dj.

Forrest collected plants in Western China, Upper Burma and Eastern Tibet from 1904 to 1931 and introduced many new plants, especially rhododendrons and primulas, but many others. E. H. M. Cox wrote the chapter on his journeys with a personal account of Forrest by Sir William Wright Smith. An interesting and important book on one of the most significant plant collectors of the 20th century.

US$40. bookID # 13891

COWAN, Dr. J. Macqueen; The Journeys and Plant Introductions of George Forrest. London, The Royal Horticultural Society, 1952, First Edition, 8vo [25 x 16 cm]; xi, 252 pp, frontis (port), numerous illustrations from photos and drwgs, 5 color plates, color folding map, appendix of his rhododendrons, index, original cloth, dj (chipped at spine end and corners), fine & clean in good+ dj.

Forrest collected plants in Western China, Upper Burma and Eastern Tibet from 1904 to 1931 and introduced many new plants, especially rhododendrons and primulas, but many others. E. H. M. Cox wrote the chapter on his journeys with a personal account of Forrest by Sir William Wright Smith. An interesting and important book on one of the most significant plant collectors of the 20th century.

US$25. bookID # 4427

COX, E. H. M.; Plant-Hunting in China; A History of Botanical Exploration in China and the Tibetan Marches. London, Collins, 1945, First Edition, 8vo [22 x 14.5 cm]; 279 pp, colored frontis, 24 illustrations, index, original cloth, gilt lettering on spine, dj (not price clipped, spine lightly faded few short tears), near fine & clean in very good dj, presentation copy to F. Cleveland Morgan, signed by author, on endpaper, with Morgan's small bookplate.

The author describes the history of plant hunting in the area, the source for much of today's nursery stock. He describes the exploits of major plant hunters including Fortune, Wilson, Forrest and Kingdon Ward, as well as many of the less known botanists, from Britain, America and Europe who travelled there. A readable yet detailed account by this important garden writer, who personally knew many of the important 20th century gardeners and plant hunters. Later editions did not have the frontis in color of the Primula Sinensis. F. Cleveland Morgan founded the decorative arts department at the Art Association of Montreal (today the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts) and was curator there for over 40 years. Signed copies of Cox's books are seldom found.

US$160. bookID # 13301

COX, E. H. M.; Plant-Hunting in China; A History of Botanical Exploration in China and the Tibetan Marches. London, Collins, 1945, First Edition, 8vo [22 x 14.5 cm]; 279 pp, color frontis, 24 illus, index, original cloth, gilt lettering on spine, dj (not price clipped, spine faded, short tear, chip), near fine in good dj, book interior is clean and unmarked.

The author describes the history of plant hunting in the area, the source for much of today's nursery stock. He describes the exploits of major plant hunters including Fortune, Wilson, Forrest and Kingdon Ward, as well as many of the less known botanists, from Britain, America and Europe who travelled there. A readable yet detailed account by this important garden writer, who personally knew many of the important 20th century gardeners and plant hunters. Later editions did not have the frontis in color of the Primula Sinensis.

US$55. bookID # 13424

COX, E. H. M.; The Plant Introductions of Reginald Farrer. London, New Flora and Silva, 1930, First edition, limited to 500 copies, of which 450 are for sale, 4to [28 x 21 cm]; xi, 113 pp, frontis portrait of Farrer, 12 fine color plates from Farrer's paintings in the field, 4 black & white plates, comprehensive annotated bibliography of all of Farrer's works, original white cloth, gilt spine title lettering, light foxing on few margins, name whitened out on endpaper, bookplate removed, one blank corner of leaf torn off, very good, clean.

Farrer was one of the most important plant hunters of his time and introduced hundreds of plants to the west that we now take for granted in our gardens (see Coats, The Plant Hunters, p. 132, etc). Farrer collected plants extensively in Kansu, Burma, Ahkyang Valley, and elsewhere. Cox, a plant hunter of merit also, had accompanied Farrer on one of his expeditions in Asia, became a popular gardening writer of the time, and here provides a detailed introduction to Farrer's travels and edited his notes on each plant described. This work lists 1920 plants that Farrer collected, which had been named up to that point. Farrer's descriptions of each plant are augmented by Cox's comments.

US$110. bookID # 13299

CRUTTWELL, N. E. G.; An Account of Plant-Hunting in the Highlands of New Guinea [with:] An Expedition to the Finisterre Mountains of Eastern New Guinea, by A. C. Jermy & C. D. Sayers. London, Journal of Royal Horticultural Society, [1962, 1967], First edition, 8vo [22 x 14 cm]; 77-86; 117-128 pp, 2 maps with insets, photo illustrations including in color, bound in green heavy paper wraps with printed label, fine and clean, although cover is slightly faded.

Two interesting papers on plant hunting extracted from this great journal. Cruttwell lived on Cape Vogel Peninsula in South-east Papua and explores this area and nearby Daga Country, while the Jermy-Sayers paper was based on the 1964 expedition by the British Museum and University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. In both papers there is description of some of the orchids seen in this richest of orchid areas, including Grammatphyllum papuanum, Dendrobium forbesii, Latourea group of dendrobiums, Dendrobium johnsoniae (color illus), Dendrobium caespitficum (color illus), etc, as well as rhododendrons, and other flowering plants.

US$35. bookID # 13828

DEGENER, Otto; Naturalist's South Pacific Expedition: Fiji. Honolulu, Paradise of the Pacific, 1949, First Edition, 8vo [24 x 15.5 cm]; [viii], 303 pp, many illustrations including full-page, mostly photos a few from drawings, endpaper maps, original decorated cloth, light edge wear, lightly foxed on margin of title page, overall very good, the interior is clean.

Author was well-known botanist and includes lists of plants collected in appendix. Book describes native people (social, cultural, cannibalism, crafts, etc) and natural history.

US$20. bookID # 13128

DORR, Lawrence J.; Plant Collectors in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands; A biographical & bibliographical guide to individuals & groups who have collected herbarium material of algae, bryophytes, fungi, lichens & vascular plants in Madagascar & the Comor Islands. Washington. Kew, Smithsonian Institution, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, [1997], First edition, large 8vo [25 x 16 cm]; xlvi, 524 pp, numerous illustrations from photos including portraits of most of the collectors, maps, with the CD in rear pocket, containing full text & illustrations making in pdf format, fully searchable, original pictorial boards, title lettering on spine and cover, fine and clean condition, unused.

A comprehensive and detailed reference to all the known plant collectors to this area with biographical details on each and with the often lacking CD containing all the material of the book, ideal for searches.

US$140. bookID # 13231

DUNSTERVILLE, G. C. K. and E. Dunsterville, edited by Alec M. Pridgeon; Orchid Hunting in the Lost World (and Elsewhere in Venezuela). West Palm Beach, American Orchid Society, [1988], First edition in book form, parts were previously published in periodicals, 4to [28.5 x 22 cm]; xv, 280 pp, numerous color illus from photos, black and white photos, many drawings of orchids, maps, map endpapers, index, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj, fine in fine jacket, clean throughout.

The author of the 6 volume Venezuela Orchids Illustrated, traveled widely in Venezuela in search of its 1,200 orchid species. This is an interesting mixture of botany and adventure which appeared in the American Orchid Society Bulletin over a 40 year period. The Lost World was made famous by Arthur Conan Doyle.

US$17. bookID # 13858

DUNSTERVILLE, G. C. K. and E. Dunsterville, edited by Alec M. Pridgeon; Orchid Hunting in the Lost World (and Elsewhere in Venezuela). West Palm Beach, American Orchid Society, [1988], First edition in book form, parts were previously published in journals, 4to [28.5 x 22 cm]; xv, 280 pp, numerous color illus from photos, black and white photos, many drawings of orchids, maps, map endpapers, index, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj, fine in fine jacket, clean throughout.

The author of the 6 volume Venezuela Orchids Illustrated, traveled widely in Venezuela in search of its 1,200 orchid species. This is an interesting mixture of botany and adventure which appeared in the American Orchid Society Bulletin over a 40 year period. The Lost World was made famous by Arthur Conan Doyle.

US$20. bookID # 13860

DUNSTERVILLE, G. C. K. and E. Dunsterville, edited by Alec M. Pridgeon; Orchid Hunting in the Lost World (and Elsewhere in Venezuela). West Palm Beach, American Orchid Society, [1988], First edition in book form, parts were previously published in AOS periodical, 4to [28.5 x 22 cm]; xv, 280 pp, numerous color illus from photos, black and white photos, many drawings of orchids, maps, map endpapers, index, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj, fine in fine jacket, clean throughout.

The author of the 6 volume Venezuela Orchids Illustrated, traveled widely in Venezuela in search of its 1,200 orchid species. This is an interesting mixture of botany and adventure which appeared in the American Orchid Society Bulletin over a 40 year period. The Lost World was made famous by Arthur Conan Doyle.

US$18. bookID # 13859

DUNSTERVILLE, G. C. K. and E. Dunsterville, edited by Alec M. Pridgeon; Orchid Hunting in the Lost World (and Elsewhere in Venezuela). West Palm Beach, American Orchid Society, [1988], First edition in book form, 4to [28.5 x 22 cm]; xv, 280 pp, numerous color illustrations from photos, bw photos, many drwgs of orchids, maps, map endpapers, index, original cloth, dj, fine, clean throughout.

The author of the 6 volume Venezuela Orchids Illustrated, travelled widely in Venezuela in search of its 1,200 orchid species. This is an interesting mixture of botany and adventure which appeared in the American Orchid Society Bulletin over a 40 year period. The Lost World was made famous by Arthur Conan Doyle.

US$16. bookID # 9192

DUVAL, Marguerite; translated by Annette Tomarken & Claudine Cowan; The King's Garden. Charlottesville, University Press of Virginia, 1982, First edition in English, 4to [26 x 18 cm]; ix, [i], 214pp, full-page illus, map, index, original cloth with gilt title lettering on spine, dj (lightly worn at edges), fine, clean in vg dj.

Translated from the original French edition of 1977, this is an account of the French efforts at plant hunting over a period of three centuries, many of whom have been ignored or down-played in other reviews of botanical exploration. The book covers travels in many parts of the world by such persons as Belon, Tournefort, Buffon, Michaux, Bonpland, Humboldt and Jacquement, etc. There are few if any books that survey the French plant hunting expeditions.

US$5. bookID # 10735

DUVAL, Marguerite; translated by Annette Tomarken & Claudine Cowan; The King's Garden. Charlottesville, University Press of Virginia, 1982, First edition in English, 4to [26 x 18 cm]; ix, [i], 214pp, full-page illus, map, index, original cloth with gilt title lettering on spine, dj (small crease on inside flap), fine, clean.

Translated from the original French edition of 1977, this is an account of the French efforts at plant hunting over a period of three centuries, many of whom have been ignored or down-played in other reviews of botanical exploration. The book covers travels in many parts of the world by such persons as Belon, Tournefort, Buffon, Michaux, Bonpland, Humboldt and Jacquement, etc. There are few if any books that survey the French plant hunting expeditions.

US$2. bookID # 11290

DUVAL, Marguerite; translated by Annette Tomarken & Claudine Cowan; The King's Garden. Charlottesville, University Press of Virginia, 1982, First edition in English, 4to [26 x 18 cm]; ix, [i], 214pp, full-page illus, map, index, original cloth, dj (short tear at edge), else fine.

Translated from the original French edition of 1977, this is an account of the French efforts at plant hunting over a period of three centuries, many of whom have been ignored or down-played in other reviews of botanical exploration. The book covers travels in many parts of the world by such persons as Belon, Tournefort, Buffon, Michaux, Bonpland, Humboldt and Jacquement, etc. There are few if any books that survey the French plant hunting expeditions.

US$1. bookID # 7242

DUVAL, Marguerite; translated by Annette Tomarken & Claudine Cowan; The King's Garden. Charlottesville, University Press of Virginia, 1982, First edition in English, 4to [26 x 18 cm]; ix, [i], 214pp, full-page illus, map, index, original cloth with gilt title lettering on spine, dj (slightly rubbed at edge), fine, clean.

Translated from the original French edition of 1977, this is an account of the French efforts at plant hunting over a period of three centuries, many of whom have been ignored or down-played in other reviews of botanical exploration. The book covers travels in many parts of the world by such persons as Belon, Tournefort, Buffon, Michaux, Bonpland, Humboldt and Jacquement, etc. There are few if any books that survey the French plant hunting expeditions.

US$6. bookID # 11113

FAIRCHILD, David; Garden Islands of the Great East; Collecting Seeds from the Philippines and Netherlands India in the Junk "Cheng Ho". New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1943, First edition, large 8vo [24.5 x 16 cm], xiv, 239pp, frontis, well illustrated from photos, pictorial eps, index, original cloth, dj (chipped at edges, tears), bookplate removed from blank endpaper, very good, clean throughout.

By the well-known American plant and seed collector; he had a tropical garden in Florida named after him. This book includes numerous fascinating photos, mainly of plant life but also of the native peoples, throughout the Malaya archipelago and related islands. Fairchild and his party were the last Americans to visit the Celebes and the Moluccas before the Japanese invaded in 1940.

US$19. bookID # 6541

FAIRCHILD, David; Garden Islands of the Great East; Collecting Seeds from the Philippines and Netherlands India in the Junk "Cheng Ho". New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1943, First edition, first issue with the 'A' on the verso title, large 8vo [24 x 16 cm], xiv, 239 pp, frontis, well illustrated from photos, pictorial endpapers, index, original cloth, silver title lettering on spine and front cover, minimal rubbing to edge, else fine clean copy.

By the well-known American plant and seed collector; he had a tropical garden in Florida named after him. This book includes numerous fascinating photos, mainly of plant life but also of the native peoples, throughout the Malaya archipelago and related islands. Fairchild and his party were the last Americans to visit the Celebes and the Moluccas before the Japanese invaded in 1940.

US$19. bookID # 11012

FARRER, Reginald; Among the Hills; A Book of Joy in High Places. London, Headley Brothers, nd [1911], First edition, first issue, 8vo [22 x 15 cm]; 326, [i, ads] pp, 14 fine colored plates mounted on art paper, each with tissue and letterpress, 8 other plates from photos, folding map showing author's route, index, original cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover, spine lettering faded, light edge wear, corner of half title page removed, interior is clean with only slight foxing in few margins, very good.

The author was a botanist, explorer, plant hunter and author of the English Rock Garden and many others, who here describes his travels and climbs in the Alps and other parts of Europe. Neate F06. Cox p. 103: 'Copies of the first edition usually have the lower three lines of the title covered by a gummed slip, London, the Swarthmore Press'. This copy has the slip present. The later edition did not have tissue guards and were printed on ordinary paper rather than the finer production that were mounted in this first edition.

US$110. bookID # 13296

FARRER, Reginald; In Old Ceylon. London, Edward Arnold, 1908, First edition, 8vo [22.5 x 15 cm]; xi, 351 pp, frontis, plus 15 plates from photos, index, original pictorial gilt cloth, gilt lettering on front cover and spine, gilt clear & unworn, name on endpaper, fine and clean.

Farrer, an important plant hunter and explorer who had introduced a number of new plants to Europe, had travelled extensively in Asia. Although always looking for new plants, the author describes the natural history, the people, religion, architecture, customs, etc, as he travelled from Colombo, Gadaladeniy, Peradeniya, Sigiri Rock, Polonnarua, Kandy, to the Sacred City and various other towns and cities, providing his keen observations and well-written text. Ware 17.

US$140. bookID # 11068

FARRER, Reginald; On the Eaves of the World. London, Edward Arnold, 1917, First edition, 8vo [22.5 x 15.5 cm]; 2 volumes, xii, 311; viii, 328 pp, frontis in each volume, numerous plates from photos, folding map showing author's route, index, original blue cloth with gilt title lettering on front covers and spines, slightly rubbed, some minor foxing but clean, quite a good set.

Yakushi F17. Called the 'Prince of Alpine Gardeners' by Tyler Whittle, the author, accompanied by botanical collector William Purdon, traveled through the virgin Kansu region of Tibet in search of hardy plants. He suffered hardship and avoided the mad bandit general White Wolf and his army while collecting numerous seeds and plants which he sent back to England. An interesting adventure with descriptions of geography and the people and much on the plants found. An appendix lists the plants that were successfully brought into cultivation as a result of the expedition.

US$200. bookID # 10847

FARRER, Reginald; The English Rock-Garden. London, T. C. & E. C. Jack Ltd, 1919, First edition, large 8vo [24 x 17 cm]; 2 volumes, lxiv, 504;viii, 524 pp, 102 plates with 200 illustrations from photos, with the appendix on mexonopsis, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, lightly rubbed at edge, near fine sound set.

The classic book on rock gardening, first printed in 1919 and reprinted many times due to its popularity and reference value, This comprehensive work has for many years been established as the standard work on the Rock Garden. Its at once the most easily consulted and the most authoritative of any book dealing with plants suitable for rock gardens and their immediate surroundings. The text is arranged in the form of an encyclopedia, and deals not only with the plants of the rock garden but also with the wild garden and the bog. The author was a respected plant hunter and garden writer. "Few writers have been so nimble with epithets and imagery to describe plants, or conveyed such infectious enthusiasm." (Hugh Johnson). "Still a classic book on the subject" (Oxford Companion to Gardens)

US$140. bookID # 12344

FARRER, Reginald J.; The Garden of Asia; Impressions from Japan. London, Methuen & Co., [1904], First edition, 8vo [20 x 13.5 cm]; xi, 296, 40 [publisher's catalogue dated Jul 1904] pp, original red cloth, gilt lettering on spine and cover, cover gilt ruled, edges rubbed, slightly foxed in a few margins, very good.

Called the 'Prince of Alpine Gardeners' by Tyler Whittle, the author, a renowned traveller and plant collector, traveled through Japan, describing the people, customs, plants, etc, with a chapter on Korea. This was his second book and his first non-fiction book. Cox 101.

US$180. bookID # 13292

FARRINGTON, Edward I.; Ernest H. Wilson Plant Hunter, with a List of his Most Important Introductions and Where to Get Them. Boston, The Stratford Company, [1931], First edition, 8vo [21.5 x 14.5 cm]; xxi, 197 pp, frontis (port), 33 illustrations mostly full-page, bibliog, chronology, index, original two-part green cloth with gilt lettering on front cover and spine, dj (chipped at spine ends, price clipped), slightly foxed at outer edge of text block, fine copy in good+ dj.

The author, who was a friend of Wilson, both professionally and socially, was able to write a biography of this famous plant hunter, the way few people can be able to. Wilson made seven plant hunting expeditions, to China, Tibet, Korea, Japan, Formosa, where he collected hundreds of new plants and trees new to science, many of which are not available at nurseries and might otherwise have been lost. The book includes a list of plants Wilson collected with descriptions as well as a bibliography of his articles and books. This copy includes a loose leaf from the publisher to the literary editor of the NY Herald Tribune asking for a review of the book.

US$40. bookID # 13278

FISHER, John; The Origin of Garden Plants. London, Constable, [1982], First edition, 8vo [24 x 17 cm]; xvii, 338 pp, 5 color plates from painting, 97 illustrations from photos and drwgs, bibliog, index, original cloth with silver title lettering, dj (price clipped, tiny tear), small owner's blind-stamp on endpaper, fine in fine dj.

The author provides an interesting and detailed description of the origins of over 900 plants from most parts of the world from earliest times to those found by more recent plant hunters, and includes a chapter on orchids.

US$24. bookID # 7776

FOLEY, Daniel J.; The Flowering World of "Chinese" Wilson. London, The Macmillan Company, [1969], First edition, 8vo [21 x 16 cm]; xv, 334 pp, frontis, plates from photos, bibliography, index, original 2 color, pictorial cloth with gilt lettering on spine, dj (price clipped, spine lightly faded), else a fine, clean copy.

Ernest Henry Wilson was one of the greatest plant hunters of his time, collected and introduced thousands of plants including lilies, rhododendrons, cherries, primroses, trees, etc based on his expeditions in China and Japan. We now take many of these plants for granted in our landscape. He later became the director of the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. Foley provides a good biography, well-illustrated and with selections from Wilson's many books.

US$22. bookID # 13276

FORTUNE, Robert; Three Year's Wanderings in the Northern Provinces of China, a Visit to the Tea, Silk and Cotton Countries with an Account of the Agriculture and Horticulture of the Chinese, New Plants, etc. London, Mildmay Books [John Murray], [1987], reprinted from the 1847 first edition, 8vo [21.5 x 14 cm]; xvi, 406, [i] pp, tinted frontis, extra title page with vignette of Chinese wedding, 15 other illustrations including map and plates, original pictorial wraps, cover slightly rubbed at edge, but clean and near fine.

Fortune was the first plant collector to travel in China after the conclusion of the Opium War, as a botanical collector for the Horticultural Society of London starting in 1843. Travel was not allowed for more than 30 miles past Shanghai, but undaunted "he set off by boat from Shanghai, in Chinese costume complete with shaved head and pigtail" (see Coats p. 101-110 for details), and was the first westerner to reach Soochow and many other parts of China, collecting large numbers of plants and seeds. The book contains two chapters on the cultivation and manufacture of tea with suggestions on the possibilities of developing a tea industry in India, and contained new knowledge about the production and processing of tea. In fact, this book and his later books and plant collecting (as an employee of the East India Company) lead to the Indian tea industry. As a result of the travels described here he found numerous new plants including anemones, chrysanthemums, jasmine, forsythia, honeysuckle, etc. Besides plants and horticulture, the author also describes the people and geography. This was his first book. Cordier p. 2115. Massachusetts Horticultural Society Catalogue p. 102. This is a nice production reprinting the first edition, which is very scarce.

US$50. bookID # 10034

FORTUNE, Robert; Three Year's Wanderings in the Northern Provinces of China, a Visit to the Tea, Silk and Cotton Countries with an Account of the Agriculture and Horticulture of the Chinese, New Plants, etc. London, John Murray [Time-Life Books], 1847 [1986], reprinted from the 1847 first edition, 8vo [22 x 14.5 cm]; xv, 406, [i], [16 page John Murray's catalogue] pp, tinted frontis, extra title page with vignette of Chinese wedding, 15 other illustrations including map and plates, orig simulated brown leather, decorated in gilt and red, gilt lettering, a. e. g., marbled endpapers, original ribbon bookmark, very fine and clean, with the original publisher's prospectus containing a good historical introduction and a loose bookplate.

Fortune was the first plant collector to travel in China after the conclusion of the Opium War, as a botanical collector for the Horticultural Society of London starting in 1843. Travel was not allowed for more than 30 miles past Shanghai, but undaunted "he set off by boat from Shanghai, in Chinese costume complete with shaved head and pigtail" (see Coats p. 101-110 for details), and was the first westerner to reach Soochow and many other parts of China, collecting large numbers of plants and seeds. The book contains two chapters on the cultivation and manufacture of tea with suggestions on the possibilities of developing a tea industry in India, and contains new knowledge about the production and processing of tea. In fact, this book and his later books and plant collecting (as an employee of the East India Company) lead to the Indian tea industry. As a result of the travels described here he found numerous new plants including anemones, chrysanthemums, jasmine, forsythia, honeysuckle, etc. Besides plants and horticulture, the author also describes the people and geography. This was his first book. Cordier p. 2115. Massachusetts Horticultural Society Catalogue p. 102. This is a fine production reprinting the scarce first edition, with all the plates and text. A lavishly illustrated and historically accurate photographic reproduction of the original.

US$110. bookID # 11002

FUNK, V. A. and Scott A. Mori; A Bibliography of Plant Collectors in Bolivia. Washington, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989, First edition, 4to [28 x 21.5 cm]; iii, 20 pp, full-page map, original pictorial heavy paper wraps, with printed title lettering, small ink stamp on cover, else near fine copy, clean throughout.

A useful work consisting of an introduction by authors, a detailed bibliography, mostly with annotated descriptions and a list of general reference works.

US$18. bookID # 13863

GATES, R. Ruggles; A Botanist in the Amazon Valley; An Account of the Flora and Fauna in the Land of Floods. London, H. F. & G. Witherby, 1927, First Edition, 12mo [19 x 13 cm]; 203, [i, ads] pp, frontis, 22 illustrations from photos on 10 plates, folding map, index, original cloth, gilt lettering, spine faded but gilt lettering clear, lacks blank front endpaper, lightly foxed but mostly in margins, very good.

An interesting and important account of travels in the region, including travel to Para, Manaos, Teffe, etc, by boat with comments on the people as well as the flora & fauna, with some detail on palms and other trees. At Teffe, the author compares the conditions to where Bates (The Naturalist on the Rivers Amazon) spent several years starting in 1855.

US$100. bookID # 9299

GATHORNE-HARDY, Robert; Traveller's Trio. London, Thomas Nelson and Sons, [1963], First edition, 8vo [23.5 x 17 cm]; vii, 187 pp, plan, 7 plates from photos, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj (not price clipped), very slight foxing on endpaper, fine and clean copy, unmarked.

The author, a well-known author of gardening and travel books, as well as fiction, describes here his travels and plant hunting in Labrador and Italy. The plan is of Tunnit buildings which he visited in Labrador.

US$4. bookID # 12929

GILMOUR, J. S. L. (editor); Thomas Johnson, Botanical Journeys in Kent & Hampstead; A Facsimile Reprint with Introduction and Translation of his Iter Plantarum 1629, Description Itineris Plantarum 1632. Pittsburgh, The Hunt Botanical Library, 1972, First edition thus, 4to [27.5 x 19.5 cm]; ix, 167 pp, maps including large folding with route in red, facsimiles, illus, bibliog, index, original simulated leather, gilt spine title lettering, fine and clean copy, in dj (short tear at edge, lightly foxed), with the original prospectus for the book, with a loose dedication to author from the Botanical Magazine, signed by author.

Contains a loose review of this book in German. The book, besides reproducing the original works, includes a detailed introduction by Gilmour and short essays by a number of other authors on different aspects of the work, including R. E. Latham, R. Rose, P. W. Richards, C. E. Raven, appendices, etc

US$50. bookID # 12328

GLENN, Rewa [pseud. of Marguerite Maude Johnson]; The Botanical Explorers of New Zealand. Wellington, A. H. & A. W. Reid, [1950], First edition, 8vo [22 x 14.5 cm]; 176 pp, colored frontis from painting, other colored plate, photo plates, map endpapers, index, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, small crease at upper spine, small bookplate of H. A. H. Insull, else near fine and clean in fair dj (chipped at spine end, rubbed, tear, not price clipped).

A description of the plant hunters of New Zealand, biographies of exploration, of a country of most unusual plants. Bagnall 472. The colored plates, one being of orchids, are from Margaret Johnson's fine paintings.

US$24. bookID # 12909

HEALEY, B. J.; The Plant Hunters. New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, [1975], First American Edition, 8vo [23 x 16 cm]; vii, [ii], 214 pp, illustrations from photos and from early sources, index, original green cloth with silver spine title lettering, a very good, unmarked and clean copy in jacket (price clipped, short tear, light wear at edge).

An interesting and readable account of plant hunting from Parkinson, Tradescant, Banister, Kaempfer, Bartram, Robert Fortune to E. H. Wilson and Kingdon-Ward and dozens of others, organized in 9 main chapters, with an index of plant names and general index. A good introduction to where our plants came from and the difficulties the botanists had in finding them.

US$5. bookID # 12730

HONIG, Pieter and Frans Verdoorn (editors); Science and Scientists in the Netherlands Indies. New York, Board of the Netherlands Indies, Surinam and Curacao, 1945, First edition, 4to [26.5 x 18 cm]; xxii, [ii], 491, [i] pp, frontis, 134 illustrations including many full-page from old sources, some double-page, tables, maps including folding, map endpapers, original pictorial cloth, gilt spine title lettering, very good+, interior is clean and fine.

A collection of articles and extracts from older sources on the natural sciences of the former Dutch colonies, a very useful reference with contributions by many eminent scientists including David Fairchild, Alfred Russel Wallace, Ernst Mayer, H. O. Forbes, and many others. All the articles are in English, some produced in English for the first time, covering all aspects of natural history, geology, rubber cultivation, botany, plant hunting, tobacco, climate, agriculture, forestry, cinchona cultivation, archaeology, etc.

US$5. bookID # 11622

HONIG, Pieter and Frans Verdoorn (editors); Science and Scientists in the Netherlands Indies. New York, Board of the Netherlands Indies, Surinam and Curacao, 1945, First edition, 4to [26.5 x 18 cm]; xxii, [ii], 491, [i] pp, frontis, 134 illustrations including many full-page from old sources, some double-page, tables, maps including folding, map endpapers, original pictorial cloth, gilt spine title lettering, endpaper signature, very good+, interior is clean and fine.

A collection of articles and extracts from older sources on the natural sciences of the former Dutch colonies, a very useful reference with contributions by many eminent scientists including David Fairchild, Alfred Russell Wallace, Ernst Mayer, H. O. Forbes, and many others. All the articles are in English, some produced in English for the first time, covering all aspects of natural history, geology, rubber cultivation, botany, plant hunting, tobacco, climate, agriculture, forestry, cinchona cultivation, archaeology, etc.

US$12. bookID # 12273

HUBER, Otto; John J. Wurdack; History of Botanical Exploration in Territorio Federal Amazonas, Venezuela. Washington, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1984, First edition, 8to [26 x 20 cm]; [iv], 83 pp, 11 maps, including foldout, bibliography, tables, original printed heavy paper wraps, printed title on spine and cover, fine and clean.

A description and history of plant hunting and collecting in the southern part of Venezuela including the headwaters of the Orinoco River and part of the Amazon Basin. Early naturalists that explored in this area include Humboldt and Bonpland in 1800, Schomburgk in 1839, Richard Spruce, etc, discovered vast botanical diversity and inspired numerous plant hunters. The work includes a detailed chronological table of exploration, lists of collectors, etc.

US$10. bookID # 13078

KINGDON WARD, Capt. F. (Frank); The Romance of Plant Hunting. London, Edward Arnold, 1924, First edition, 8vo [22.5 x15 cm]; xi, 275, 12 [ads] pp, frontis, plates from photos, foldout map, general index, plant index, original cloth with gilt vignette and lettering on front cover & spine, lightly foxed on title page, fine, clean copy in very good dust jacket (light wear, small chip) with a loose extra 3-page appendix (about 6 x 4 inches, photocopy, from later edition.

The author, perhaps the most famous plant hunter of the twentieth century, describes his travels in Yunnan, Burma, China, Tibet searching for new plants but also describing the countryside and peoples and gives his own feelings and philosophy of plant collecting, travel, nature, etc. There was a later reprint but in reduced format compared to this first edition. Not usually found in a jacket.

US$200. bookID # 13316

KINGDON WARD, Captain Frank; The Mystery Rivers of Tibet; A Description of the little-known Land Where Asia's Mightiest Rivers Gallop in Harness Through the Narrow Gateway of Tibet, Its Peoples, Fauna, & Flora. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott Company, 1923, First US edition, 8vo [22 x 14 cm]; 316, [iv, ads] pp, illustrations from photos, 4 maps including large folding map at end, index, original pictorial cloth, spine title lettering, tiny tear at spine end, but a fine and clean copy, covers bright and unworn pristine and fresh.

One of the greatest explorers of the early part of this century and, perhaps, the most famous plant hunter of all times, Kingdon Ward travelled extensively in Burma, China and Tibet. He introduced numerous plants to western gardens including the Tibetan poppy and rhododendrons. This is a detailed description of the area with much on the geography, the people, and the plants he found, including over 200 new species. It is one of his scarcest books. Coats (The Plant Hunters): 'His most important and interesting journey.' Schweinfurth IV. Marshall 2070. Yakushi K191.

US$300. bookID # 11286

KINGDON WARD, F.; Plant Hunter in Manipur. London, Jonathan Cape, [1952], First Edition, 8vo [20.5 x 14 cm]; 254 pp, frontis, 11 other plates, folding map showing author's route, index, original cloth, sliver spine title lettering, near fine and clean in dust jacket (not price clipped, very light use).

A fine narrative of the author's travels with his wife in Manipur (Assam, Burma) on a plant hunt, where he describes the flora, fauna, scenery, people. He discovered the Lilium Makliniae which is now in the market. The author became familiar with this area between Assam and Burma, when he was employed by the US army in world war II searching for crashed aircraft.

US$110. bookID # 13275

KINGDON WARD, F.; Plant Hunter in Manipur. London, Jonathan Cape, [1952], First Edition, 8vo [20.5 x 14 cm]; 254 pp, frontis, 11 other plates, folding map, index, original cloth, dj (short tear, slight wear at spine ends), name erased on title page, very good copy.

A description of the famous plant hunter's adventure with his wife together with descriptions of the flora, fauna and scenery. On this expedition, he discovered a new lily, Lilium Mackliniae, that was introduced to the world of gardening soon after. The author became familiar with this area between Assam and Burma, when he was employed by the US army in world war II searching for crashed aircraft.

US$85. bookID # 4418

KINGDON WARD, F.; Plant Hunter's Paradise. London, Jonathan Cape, 1937, First edition, 8vo [20.5 x 14 cm]; 347 pp, frontis, 12 other plates, 2 folding maps, appendices, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, lower corner chipped, very good copy.

Traveling in the mountains and valleys of Burma and adjacent areas, including the unexplored country on the Burma-Tibet frontier, in 1922, 1926 and 1930-31, this famous botanical explorer describes plants, nature and native customs in his usual readable way. There are appendices on zoological specimens collected and new plants he introduced to Europe that he found in Burma. The American edition was first published the following year.

US$45. bookID # 10294

KINGDON WARD, F.; Plant Hunter's Paradise. London, Jonathan Cape, 1937, First edition, 8vo [20.5 x 14 cm]; 347 pp, frontis, 12 other plates, 2 folding maps, appendices, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, one of the blank front free endpapers removed leaving one blank endpaper, otherwise a clean near fine copy, covers bright, no ownership marks.

Traveling in the mountains and valleys of Burma and adjacent areas, including the unexplored country on the Burma-Tibet frontier, in 1922, 1926 and 1930-31, this famous botanical explorer describes plants, nature and native customs in his usual readable way. There are appendices on zoological specimens collected and new plants he introduced to Europe that he found in Burma.

US$45. bookID # 13305

KINGDON WARD, F.; Plant Hunter's Paradise. London, Jonathan Cape, 1937, First edition, 8vo [20.5 x 14 cm]; 347 pp, frontis, 12 other plates, 2 folding maps, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj (chipped, worn at edge, not price clipped), near fine and clean copy in good dj.

Travelling in the mountains and valleys of Burma and adjacent areas, including the unexplored country on the Burma-Tibet frontier, in 1922, 1926 and 1930-31, this famous botanical explorer describes plants, nature and native customs in his usual readable way. There are appendices on zoological specimens collected and new plants he introduced to Europe that he found in Burma. The American edition was first published the following year.

US$110. bookID # 9413

KINGDON WARD, F.; Plant Hunter's Paradise. New York, The Macmillan Company, 1938, First American Edition, 8vo [20.5 x 14 cm]; 347 pp, frontis, 12 other plates, 2 folding maps, original cloth, dj (chipped at edge), near fine and clean copy in good dj.

Travelling in the mountains and valleys of Burma and adjacent areas, including the unexplored country on the Burma-Tibet frontier, in 1922, 1926 and 1930-31, this famous botanical explorer describes plants, nature and native customs in his usual readable way. There are appendices on zoological specimens collected and new plants he introduced to Europe that he found in Burma.

US$45. bookID # 3113

KINGDON WARD, F.; Plant Hunter's Paradise. New York, The Macmillan Comany, 1938, First American edition, 8vo [20.5 x 14 cm]; 347 pp, frontis, 12 other plates, 2 folding maps, appendices, original cloth, spine title lettering, dj (chipped at spine end, price clipped), clean and fine in good+ dj.

Traveling in the mountains and valleys of Burma and adjacent areas, including the unexplored country on the Burma-Tibet frontier, in 1922, 1926 and 1930-31, this famous botanical explorer describes plants, nature and native customs in his usual readable way. There are appendices on zoological specimens collected and new plants he introduced to Europe that he found in Burma.

US$90. bookID # 10898

KINGDON WARD, F. (Frank); A Plant Hunter in Tibet. London, Jonathan Cape, [1934], First edition, 8vo [20.5 x 14 cm]; 317 pp, frontis, illustrations from photos, 2 maps including double-page map with route in red and folding map of Himalaya East of the Tsangpo in blue & black, index of places, plant index, persons index, animal-bird index, original cloth, gilt lettering, spine lightly faded but lettering clear, trifle foxed in margin of title page, bookplate on endpaper, near fine, clean copy.

The author, plant collector and geographer and winner of the Royal Geographical Society Gold Medal, describes the people, nature, scenes during his plant hunting expedition in Tibet where he found numerous plants new to Europe.

US$130. bookID # 9829

KINGDON WARD, F. [Frank]; Plant Hunting on the Edge of the World. London, Victor Gollancz, 1930, First edition, 8vo [22 x 15 cm]; 383 pp, frontis, 15 other plates from photos, 3 maps, plant list, index, original black cloth, gilt spine title lettering, covers bright, interior with light foxing, mostly marginal, very good clean copy.

A narrative of two journeys by this famous plant hunter and geographer, to Burma and Assam, to collect seeds and plants and to explore unknown mountain ranges. The appendix lists plants collected by the author that were in cultivation at the time of publication, but he is acclaimed for introducing thousands of plants to the west found through southeast Asia. Yakushi K195.

US$110. bookID # 13317

KINGDON WARD, Frank; Burma's Icy Mountains. London, Jonathan Cape, [1949], First edition, 8vo [20.4 x 14 cm]; 287 pp, frontis and plates from photos, 2 foldout maps, original cloth, silver title lettering on spine bright, fine and clean, unmarked in very nice dj (not price clipped, light wear at spine ends).

The author, described as the last of the great plant hunters, traveled to Burma a number of times. He describes his two expeditions, in the late 1930's, to the more inaccessible and previously unexplored parts of Burma, including Burma's 20,000 foot mountains, with a good description of the geography, topography, botany, people. The illustrations include local people, orchids, views, suspension bridge, etc. Neate W16. Because of his familiarity with this area, he was employed by the US army in world war II searching for crashed aircraft.

US$170. bookID # 13314

KINGDON-WARD, Captain Frank; Plant Hunting in the Wilds. London, Adelphi, [1931], First edition, 8vo [22 x 14.5 cm]; [79, i, ads] pp, frontis, plates from photos, original blue cloth, spine slightly faded, fine copy.

Perhaps the most famous of twentieth century plant hunters describes his travels in China, Tibet and Burma, his adventures crossing rope bridges, rafting in Indo-China, searching for plants and having interesting conversations with the people including the Grand Lama in Tibet.

US$25. bookID # 5291

KINGDON-WARD, Frank; Pilgrimage for Plants. London, George G. Harrap & Co., [1960], First edition, 8vo [21.5 x 14.5 cm]; 191 pp, frontis (portrait), plates from photos, bibliog, index, endpaper maps, original green cloth, title lettering on spine, dj (large chip on rear panel, price clipped, light wear), light abrasion on title where label was removed, else clean, sound, near fine in good+ dj.

Kingdon-Ward, the last of the great plant hunters, describes his life and adventures, in this, the last of his books. He made 23 expeditions for plants, mainly in Assam, Burma, China and Tibet, over a forty year period, and is described in this book. Many species of plants have been named after him. William T. Stearn of the British Museum wrote a useful bibliographical introduction, including a year by year account of Kingdon-Ward's explorations, with references to the resulting publications. Stearn also compiled a list of all known publications of him, including periodicals and books. Yakushi K204. Schweinfurth 25. Marshall 27871.

US$30. bookID # 11058

KINGDON-WARD, Frank; Pilgrimage for Plants. London, George G. Harrap & Co., [1960], First edition, 8vo [21.5 x 14.5 cm]; 191 pp, frontis (portrait), plates from photos, bibliog, index, endpaper maps, original green cloth, title lettering on spine, dj (not price clipped, tiny tear), name on endpaper, else fine and clean in very good jacket.

Kingdon-Ward, the last of the great plant hunters, describes his life and adventures, in this, the last of his books. He made 23 expeditions for plants, mainly in Assam, Burma, China and Tibet, over a forty year period, and is described in this book. Many species of plants have been named after him. William T. Stearn of the British Museum wrote a useful bibliographical introduction, including a year by year account of Kingdon-Ward's explorations, with references to the resulting publications. Stearn also compiled a list of all known publications of him, including periodicals and books. Yakushi K204. Schweinfurth 25. Marshall 27871.

US$45. bookID # 13313

KINGDON-WARD, Frank; Return to Irrawaddy. London, Andrew Melrose, [1956], First Edition, 8vo [23.5 x 16 cm]; 224 pp, frontis, 45 illustrations from photos, mostly full-page, folding map, index, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj (chipped at edge, tear, price clipped), clean, bright and fine in good+ jacket.

The author, one of the most famous plant hunters of the twentieth century and discoverer of thousands of plants, explored the almost unknown jungles and mountains of Northern Burma, known as the Triangle (or golden triangle), an area that has now become famous for its connection to drug production. He writes of the plants, animal and bird life and the customs of the local peoples. He describes 14 species of orchids and about 60 species of rhododendrons found there. Includes an index of flora and fauna. Yakushi K84.

US$55. bookID # 13315

LANCASATER, Roy; A Plantsman in Nepal. Woodbridge, England, Antique Collectors' Club, [1995], , 4to [28 x 22 cm]; 291 pp, 270 color and 70 black & white illustrations, bibliog, glossary, index, original cloth with gilt title lettering on front cover and spine, pictorial endpapers, dj, fine, clean, unmarked and unused.

First published in 1981 under the title Plant Hunting in Nepal, this new edition is much enlarged with updated nomenclature and an additional chapter on a subsequent visit to Nepal by the author, and with more illustrations. Although the book's emphasis is on the wide variety of plants found in the area, the author also describes the expedition's many adventures, parties with the Tibetans, birds and animals, the Nepalese people and their lives, beautifully illustrated.

US$35. bookID # 12837

LANCASTER, Roy; Plant Hunting in Nepal. London, Croom Helm, [1981], , 8vo [24 x 16 cm]; 194 pp, color illustrations from photos on 20 plates, 39 drawings in text, maps, list of seeds collected, glossary, bibliog, plant index, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, fine in fine dj (not price clipped).

Travels in East Nepal by a group of horticultural botanists, searching for seeds for western gardens, resulted in many new plants being introduced, several for the first time. The author also describes the occurrence of many western plants that originated in the Himalaya. The party visited the little known Jaljale Himal where the bizarre snowball plant the noble rhubarb were found, later visiting Topke Gola where they found the rare golden edelweiss. Included are adventures with and descriptions of the local people.

US$25. bookID # 12838

LANCASTER, Roy; Travels in China; A Plantsman's Paradise. [Woodbridge, Suffolk], Antique Collector's Club, [1989], First edition, 4to [28 x 22 cm]; 516, [i, ad] pp, color frontis, over 400 color & 250 bw illus, maps, bibliog, index of plants, index of people, index of locations, index of gardens, glossary, colored endpaper maps, original cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover, dj (slight wear at spine ends), else fine, clean with the author's signature on title page 'with best wishes, Roy Lancaster 21st November 1989'.

After a useful introduction to plant hunting in China, with brief biographies of all the main collectors, the author describes his many travels in search of plants, which includes adventure as well as botany. China is one of the richest areas of the world for different plant species. The author is an acclaimed garden writer and plant collector. A beautifully illustrated work.

US$46. bookID # 13881

LANCASTER, Roy; Travels in China; A Plantsman's Paradise. [Woodbridge, Suffolk], Antique Collector's Club, [1989], First edition, 4to [28 x 22 cm]; 516, [i, ad] pp, color frontis, over 400 color & 250 bw illus, maps, bibliog, index of plants, index of people, index of locations, index of gardens, glossary, colored endpaper maps, original cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover, dj, fine, clean and unmarked.

After a useful introduction to plant hunting in China, with brief biographies of all the main collectors, the author describes his many travels in search of plants, which includes adventure as well as botany. China is one of the richest areas of the world for different plant species. The author is an acclaimed garden writer and plant collector. A beautifully illustrated work. This copy contains a four-page handwritten manuscript entitled 'New Treats from China by Roy Lancaster' dated March 8/90, which describes in some detail historical plant hunting in China and the plants found that are currently available in nurseries.

US$40. bookID # 12812

LEITH-ROSS, Prudence; The John Tradescants; Gardeners to the Rose and Lily Queen. London, Peter Owen, [1984], First edition, 8vo [24 x 16 cm]; 320 pp, illustrations on plates, illustrations in text, maps, index, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj (price clipped), fine, clean and unmarked condition.

A comprehensive and definitive work on these gardeners, plant hunters and travellers. They supervised some of the great gardens of the period, introducing many new plants into Britain. Their collections formed the basis of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the first museum in Britain. The elder Tradescant went on collecting trips to Europe, diplomatic trips to Russia and an expedition to Algeria while the younger went to North America as far as Virginia. The book includes a reproduction of the complete texts of their own plants lists of 1629 to 1656, each plant with its modern name, making this a useful work for the study of plant history as well.

US$40. bookID # 12825

LEMMON, Kenneth; The Golden Age of Plant Hunters. New York, A. S. Barnes and Company, [1969], First American Edition, 4to [28 x 22 cm]; x, 229 pp, color and bw plates, bibliog, index, original cloth, dj (short tear, rubbed), a clean, fine copy in good dj.

A useful overview of the subject covering the major plant hunting expeditions, concentrating on 1760 - 1860. Its based mainly on material not published in other surveys of this subject.

US$20. bookID # 10792

LYTE, Charles; Frank Kingdon-Ward; The Last of the Great Plant Hunters. [London], John Murray, [1989], First edition, 8vo [24 x 14 cm]; xvi, 218 pp, 26 illustrations from photos on plates including a sample of Kingdon-Ward's signature in his portrait plate, bibliog, index, original cloth, dj, fine and clean in dj (light crease, not price clipped).

Kingdon Ward is not only the most famous of the 20th century plant collectors but also the most prolific, having published 24 books, mostly on plant hunting, all of which are highly collected. He had travelled in China, Burma and Tibet primarily and introduced numerous new species. Lyte gives an excellent description of Kingdon-Ward's travels, listing his many expeditions between 1909 and 1938 and lists all of his books. This is the best and most comprehensive biography of him.

US$38. bookID # 13356

MACDONALD, Norman, with an introduction by Rex Stout; The Orchid Hunters; a Jungle Adventure. London, The Travel Book Club, [1942], , 8vo [21 x 14 cm]; 187, [ii] pp, illustrations from photos, original green cloth, cover edges rubbed, endpaper lightly foxed, but internally clean, overall very good.

Adventures searching for orchids in the jungles of Columbia and Venezuela. An interesting plant hunting adventure in which the author and his friend found and brought back numerous orchids. "For when a man falls in love with orchids, he'll do anything to possess the one he wants. It's like chasing a green-eyed woman or taking cocaine. A sort of madness." (prologue)

US$50. bookID # 10330

MEE, Margaret, edited by Tony Morrison, Foreword by H. R. H. The Duke of Edinburgh; Margaret Mee; In Search of Flowers of the Amazon Forests; Diaries of an English Artist reveal the beauty of the vanishing rainforest. Suffolk, England, Nonesuch Expeditions, [1988], First edition, 4to [28 x 22 cm]; 302 pp, color frontis, numerous color illustrations from paintings, many full-page, double-page map, other illustrations and photos, glossary, bibliog, index, pictorial endpapers from Mee's painting, original cloth, gilt title lettering, dj, a clean and fine copy of the first printing.

The author (1909-88) traveled to the Amazon area 15 times over a 32 year period, by canoe, on foot and often alone. Her diaries and sketches portray the forests as they have never been viewed before. Her paintings and sketches "could stand without shame in the high company of such masters as Georg Dionysius Ehret and Redoute" (Wilfred Blunt). An important contribution to the botany and wildlife of Amazonia and an interesting description of plant exploration. Mee was a passionate conservationist and devoted her life to recording the diversity and beauty of the Amazon. She was one of the first to protest the destruction still taking place there. Sitwell in Great Flower Books describes her work as: 'exceptional and quite in the tradition of the great eighteenth-century books '. 'Mee was a talented botanical painter and intrepid traveller. . .an exceptional personality' [Oak Spring Flora].

US$120. bookID # 10282

MEE, Margaret, edited by Tony Morrison, Foreword by H. R. H. The Duke of Edinburgh; Margaret Mee; In Search of Flowers of the Amazon Forests; Diaries of an English Artist reveal the beauty of the vanishing rainforest. Suffolk, England, Nonesuch Expeditions, [1989], , 4to [28 x 22 cm]; 302 pp, color frontis, numerous color illustrations from paintings, many full-page, double-page map, other illustrations and photos, glossary, bibliog, index, pictorial endpapers from Mee's painting, original cloth, gilt title lettering, dj (two corners a little torn), otherwise a clean and fine copy in vg dj.

The author (1909-88) traveled to the Amazon area 15 times over a 32 year period, by canoe, on foot and often alone. Her diaries and sketches portray the forests as they have never been viewed before. Her paintings and sketches "could stand without shame in the high company of such masters as Georg Dionysius Ehret and Redoute" (Wilfred Blunt). An important contribution to the botany and wildlife of Amazonia and an interesting description of plant exploration. Mee was a passionate conservationist and devoted her life to recording the diversity and beauty of the Amazon. She was one of the first to protest the destruction still taking place there. Sitwell in Great Flower Books describes her work as: 'exceptional and quite in the tradition of the great eighteenth-century books '. 'Mee was a talented botanical painter and intrepid traveller. . .an exceptional personality' [Oak Spring Flora].

US$50. bookID # 9486

MEHTA, Ashvin and P. V. Bole (text); 100 Himalayan Flowers. New York, The Vendome Press, [1991], First edition, 4to [26 x 26 cm]; 144 pp, 150 fine colored illustrations from photos by Mehta, many full page, trek charts, glossary, bibliography, index, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj (short tear), fine in near fine jacket.

Superb photos by renowned photographer. Suggested treks through the Himalayas with itineraries for Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Utter Pradesh, Sikkim and Darjeeling, Nepal east and west.

US$5. bookID # 12932

MILLICAN, Albert; Travels and Adventures of an Orchid Hunter; An Account of Canoe and Camp Life in Colombia, while Collecting Orchids in the Northern Andes. London, Cassell & Company, 1891, First edition, 8vo [22 x 14.5 cm]; xv, 222, [xv, publisher's ads dated 9/91] pp, color lithographed (chromolithograph) frontis of Cattleya Mendelii, 21 other plates including foldout panorama of Bogot , from photos & drwgs, many other illus, half title page, original pictorial gilt cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover with gilt flowers and border, spine faded, edges rubbed, very good copy, interior clean and unmarked.

A narrative of the author's extensive travels in Colombia over a four year period, including five expeditions, with excellent illustrations, mainly by the author's photos, with other illustrations by Gustave Guggenheim, including photos of Odontoglossum Crispum, Miltonia Vexillaria, etc. Most of the illustrations are of views, portraits, jungles, camp, cities, including Carthagena, Bogot , native peoples. Probably the best book on botanical exploration of Colombia of the time. Naylor 315.

US$400. bookID # 11177

MILLICAN, Albert; Travels and Adventures of an Orchid Hunter; An Account of Canoe and Camp Life in Colombia, while Collecting Orchids in the Northern Andes. London, Cassell & Company, 1891, First edition, 8vo [22 x 14.5 cm]; xv, 222, [xv, publisher's ads dated 9/91] pp, color lithographed (chromolithograph) frontis of Cattleya Mendelii, 21 other plates including foldout panorama of Bogot , from photos & drwgs, many other illus, half title page, original pictorial gilt cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover with gilt flowers and border, cover faded in parts, spotted, very light dampstain in first 30 pages, mostly to outer edge, inscribed on half-title page, good sound copy.

A narrative of the author's extensive travels in Colombia over a four year period, including five expeditions, with excellent illustrations, mainly by the author's photos, with other illustrations by Gustave Guggenheim, including photos of Odontoglossum Crispum, Miltonia Vexillaria, etc. Most of the illustrations are of views, portraits, jungles, camp, cities, including Carthagena, Bogot , native peoples. Probably the best book on botanical exploration of Colombia of the time. Naylor 315.

US$300. bookID # 12486

PACE, Antonio, Joseph and Nesta Ewan; Luigi Castiglioni's Viaggio; Travels in the United States of North America 1785-87, with Natural History Commentary and Botanical Observations. Syracuse, New York, Syracuse University Press, 1983, First edition in English, 8vo [23 x 16.5 cm]; xli [ii], 487pp, full-page illus, maps, bibliog, index, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj, fine and clean.

About 1/4 of the book deals with descriptions of plants, the rest being a description of his travels, including in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Canada, New York, Georgia, Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island. This is the first complete translation of this classic of naturalist's travels, first published in Italy in 1790.

US$10. bookID # 11066

PENNELL, Francis W.; The Genus Calceolaria in Southeastern Peru. Philadelphia, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1945, , 8vo [27 x 18 cm]; 137-177 pp, 10 plates, table, original printed heavy paper wraps, a little wear at outer edges of wraps, interior is clean and fine.

The author, curator of Botany with the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, describes the species of this genus of slipper flower in some detail based on his 1925 expedition to the Cuzco and Puno districts of Peru. Nicely illustrated.

US$4. bookID # 11797

PHILLIPS, Henry; History of Cultivated Vegetable; Comprising their Botanical, Medicinal, Edible, and Chemical Qualities, Natural History and Relation to Art, Science and Commerce. London, Henry Colburn and Co., 1822, Second edition, same year as first edition, 8vo [22 x 13.5 cm]; 2 volumes in one, [i], vii, 383; [i], 480 pp, index, contemporary half calf, marbled boards, gilt spine title lettering on red leather label, rubbed, joint cracked but firm, few leaves lightly spotted but overall clean, very good copy.

Massachusetts Horticultural Society Catalogue 248, which cites the 1822 edition and an 1827 edition. The author describes all vegetables from artichoke to yam and including potato, sugar, capers, indigo, poppy, tea, hemp, herbs, etc, giving the history of each in detail.

US$150. bookID # 8782

PITTIER, Henry; New or Noteworthy Plants from Colombia and Central America - 7. Washington, Smithsonian Institution, United States National Museum, 1918, First edition, 8vo [24.5 x 15.5 cm]; [viii], 95-132, [ii] pp, plus full-page plate, many illustrations from drwgs, index, original heavy printed paper wraps, fine and clean, unmarked, partly unopened.

Issued as Volume 20, part 3 of US herbarium series. Pittier, of the US Department of Agriculture, describes plants from among 10 families, the largest number belonging to the Fabaceae, trees. He also redescribes the cow tree or milk tree, the palo de vaca of Humboldt, in the light of new information and with notes on its economic importance.

US$4. bookID # 11793

RODWAY, James; In the Guiana Forest; Studies of Nature in Relation to the Struggle for Life. New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1894, First US edition, 8vo; xxiii, 242pp, frontis, 15 other full-page illus, original cloth with deorative spine, bit soiled, end-papers foxed, else clean very good copy of an important contribution to rain forest botany and ecology, scarce.

An important contribution to rain forest botany and ecology, based on the author's 24 years of collecting and study in the area.

US$22. bookID # 517

ROGER-SMITH, H. [Hugh]; Plant Hunting in Europe. Bedford, Rush & Warwick (Bedford) Ltd, nd [c1950], First edition, 8vo [22 x 14 cm]; 80 pp, photo plates, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj (chipped at edge), else near fine, inscribed and signed by author on half-title page, dated May 1950.

The M. D. author describes his travels through Switzerland, the Pyrenees, the Dolomites and Karawanken, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Greece and Cyprus, describing the plant life, topography, etc, and taking his own photos of scenery, buildings, flowers, etc. Also included is a loose two page letter from author Hugh Miller, dated September 1949.

US$60. bookID # 13000

RUIZ, Hipolito; The Journals of Hipolito Ruiz; Spanish Botanist in Peru and Chile 1777 - 1788. Portland, Oregon, Timber Press, [1998], First edition in English, translated from the original Spanish, 4to [27 x 20 cm]; 357 pp, frontis (portrait of author), 11 colored plates of maps and plans, other illustrations from original sources, appendix of medicinal plant names, index of plant names, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj (not clipped), fine and clean, unmarked.

Translated by famous Harvard botanist, Richard Evans Schultes, who had spent much time in the same regions explored by Ruiz, and Maria Jose Nemry von Thenen de Jaramillo-Arango, and transcribed from the original manuscripts by Jaime Jaramillo-Arango, this work provides the first description from the diaries of Ruiz, one of the earliest botanical explorers and plant hunters in South America, who spent 11 years in forests, mountains, villages of Chile and Peru. Besides the descriptions of 2,000 plants, Ruiz provides fascinating descriptions of the landscape, weather, native cultures, geography, geology, living conditions, etc. The first Spanish scientific expedition in South America, rich in detail.

US$28. bookID # 13106

RYDBERG, P. A.; List of Plants Collected on the Peary Arctic Expedition of 1905-06 by Dr. L. J. Wolf, and of 1908-09 by Dr. J. W. Goodsell. New York, Torreya, 1912, offprint from Torreya volume 12, 8vo [23 x 15.5 cm]; 11 pp, with list of NY Botanical Garden publications on rear cover, original printed paper wraps, minor fading on edge but fine copy.

Each plant is described with date and place found.

US$8. bookID # 8024

SANDEMAN, Christopher; A Forgotten River; A Book of Peruvian Travel and Botanical Notes. London, Oxford University Press, 1939, First edition, 8vo [22 x 14 cm]; xii, 299 pp, frontis (port), 2 maps, including one foldout, index, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering in gilt border, endpaper signature, endpaper lightly toned, interior is clean and near fine, in very good+ cover.

Based on three month's travel on the Huallage River, an Amazon tributary, from its source at 14,000 feet in the Andes to Yurimaguas at 500 feet sea level and the return to the Pacific by the ancient trade route through northern Peru. The author, a distinguished gardener, discovered a new genus of plants and several new species. There is much on the scenery, native people, camp life, etc. Good illustrations including the orchid Sobralia gloriosa growing beside the Yana-yacu River.

US$60. bookID # 11971

SPEKE, John Hanning; Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile. London, William Blackwood, 1863, First edition, 8vo [23 x 16 cm]; xxxi, 658, [xxxxii, ads] pp, frontis, 25 plates + many other illus mainly by Captain Grant, 2 colored maps (including one large folding in rear pocket showing route in red), 2 portraits (Speke and Grant) including frontis, tables, original brown pictorial gilt cloth, gilt spine title lettering, spine ends frayed, small repair, internal hinge cracked but firm, short tear at upper joint, frontis margin lightly foxed, interior clean and very good,.

Speke, together with Richard Burton, attempted to discover the source of the Nile. Speke was the first European to see Lake Victoria Nyanza and the first to enter what is now Uganda. He attempted to take full credit for discovering the Nile source, resulting in a conflict with Burton. A well-illustrated account with a list of plants collected by Captain Grant. Hess & Coger 417. Ibrahim-Hilmy 255. The plates are especially good showing wildlife, scenery, their camp, pombre brewing, magician, handicrafts, weapons, etc.

US$600. bookID # 12055

SPRUCE, Richard; A Collection of Nine of His Papers including Notes of a Visit to the Cinchona Forests on the Quitenian Andes; Expedition to Procure Seeds & Plants of the Cinchona; the Mountains of Llanganati. . . Quitonian Andes, etc. various places, several journals, as listed below`, 1844-1864, First editions, 8vo [21.5 x 14 cm]; includes 9 original papers by Spruce, folding partly colored map, plate of Utricularia Peltata, Spruce, from Linn. Society Journal Botany Vol. IV, 1845, contemporary half calf, with gilt title lettering 'Opuscula; R. S.' on leather spine label, marbled boards rubbed, contents of papers listed hand-written on endpaper, initials RS in ink on margin of first paper, marginal notes & corrections, very good.

The papers by Richard Spruce included here are: The Musci and Hepaticae of Teesdale, Trans. Bot. Society of Edinburgh, 1844 (pp 65-89); On Several Mosses new to the British Flora, London Journal of Botany, 1845 (pp1-27); On Five New Plants from Eastern Peru, Linnaean Society, 1859 (pp191-204); On the Mode of Branching of Some Amazon Trees, Linn. Soc., 1861, (pp 3-51); Notes of a Visit to the Cinchona Forests on the Western slope of the Quiteian Andes, Linn Journal, 1859, (176-192); On the Mountains of Llanganati in the Eastern Cordillera of the Quitonian Andes, offprint (?, or possibly earlier printing, has a few hand corrections) from Royal Geographical Society of London, 1861 (1-21, with folding engraved map, partly colored showing his routes); On the River Purus, a Tributary of the Amazon, no publisher stated, June 13, 1864 (1-13); Notes on the Valleys of Piura and Chira in Northern Peru and on the Cultivation of Cotton Therein, London, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1864 (pp 1-81). In addition there is only part of his paper, Report on the Expedition to Procure Seeds and Plants of the Cinchona Succirubra, or Red Bark Tree, London 1861, pages 85-112 only, the rest being removed but pages 104-111 being a note by Spruce on Cinchona Succirubra, Pavon and allied species, dated 1861 and pages 111-112 being a note by Clements R. Markham , respected author

US$1100. bookID # 12291