In Pursuit of Plants: Experiences of Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Plant Collectors

In Surinam, plant hunter F. W. Hostmann allowed vampire bats to suck his toes; George Forrest narrowly escaped rampaging llamas in western China; and, in Fiji, Berthold Seemann recorded which plants cannibals used as an accompaniment to human flesh. These and other incidents are recorded in this compilation of fascinating firsthand accounts of the experiences of 19th- and early-20th-century plant collectors. Extracted from journals and letters, the accounts are a mix of adventure, images from a lost world, and stories of the practical problems associated with plant collecting. Richly illustrated with a selection of 19th-century botanical art and modern photographs, In Pursuit of Plants will appeal to botanists, gardeners, and anyone interested in natural history and travel.