Gasterias of South Africa. A new revision of a major succulent group.
Van Jaarsveld, E.J [illustrated by Ward-Hilhorst,Ellaphie ]
Book Description: Fernwood Press (in association with the National Botanical Institute) : Vlaeberg, 1995. ISBN: 1874950016 / 1-874950-01-6. First Edition. Book Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. Orange cloth boards with gilt device on the front board. Gilt titles to spine. Quarto. Hard Cover.
Ward-Hilhorst,Ellaphie (illustrator). 96 pp. Illustrated in colour. Minor wrinkling to the bottom edge of the last 10 pages of the book. Top edge of front flaps of the dust-jacket ever so slightly browned.
“Popular among both amateur and professional horticulturalists, the handsome gasterias are endemic to southern Africa and are found mainly in the coastal and semi-arid regions of the Cape, Natal and the Eastern Transvaal. They are closely related to aloes and haworthias, so much so that their similar features often confused early botanists. Drought-resistant and shade-loving, these shallow-rooted succulents adapt well to indoor conditions, even in Europe. This explains their appeal to collectors from all over the world, from as early as the seventeenth century. The genus Gasteria was described by Duval in 1809 and revised by Berger in 1908, when the latter recognized 43 species. Between 1929 and 1940 Von Poellnitz described another 25 species. Even then, the extreme variability of the species was not fully understood, and this ultimately led to the publication of about 100 names.
The present revision by Ernst van Jaarsveld, an internationally acknowledged expert in the field of succulents, has reduced the number of recognized Gasteria species to 16. Descriptions of these gasterias, together with six interesting variations, are complemented by highly sensitive watercolour illustrations produced by the internationally acclaimed botanical artist, Ellaphie Ward-Hilhorst. Gasterias of South Africa is written for the layman and the scientist alike and will appeal to succulent plant growers and plant lovers all over the world, as well as to those involved in the conservation of arid areas in southern Africa, and visitors to these areas. The long-awaited culmination of 13 years of dedicated work, this volume provides an up-to-date, authoritative description of Gasteria, derived from Ernst vanJaarsveld's studies of cultivated specimens, plants in their natural habitat, and representative samples from South African and European herbaria. This publication also includes, among other things, an account of their habitat, the history of their exploration, their adaptation to the environment, and their indoor and outdoor cultivation.
Painstakingly illustrated by one of South Africa's foremost botanical artists, Gasterias of South Africa is a work of beauty, authority and integrity. “
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