The Flora of South Africa by Rudolph Marloth

Author: Marloth, Rudolph
Title: The Flora of South Africa
Subtitle: With Synoptic Tables of the Genera of the Higher Plants
Publisher: Darter Bros. & Co
Date: 1913 - 1932
Place: Capetown
Dimensions: Quartos. 30cm x 22cm

4 volumes, bound in 6.
Vol1: xviii+264pp 65 plates
Vol2: Section 1: xii+p1-p120 (120pp) +d(4), 42 plates Section 2: iv+p121-p272 (151pp) 38 plates
Vol3: Section 1: xx+p1-p148 (148pp)+b(2), 38 plates. Section 2: iii + p149-p349 (200pp) 32 plates
Vol4: x+208pp 60 plates

Green cloth bindings, with titles to top boards and spines - top edges gilt.

A handsome, complete set with the scarce dust jackets. The infamous figure 59 in volume 4 is missing as is usual, with the publisher's errata slip describing the error inserted in its place.

Scattered foxing throughout the volumes and fore edges mildly foxed. The boards have only some of the usual white flecking and remain bright and attractive. Plate 50 in volume 4 is loose and the binding cracked, with cord exposed. All other bindings and the remainder of this volume are tight, firm and unshaken, which for this set is uncommon.

The jackets are variably nicked and frayed but where this is the case only mildly; housed now in removable plastic coverings.

A handsome set of this landmark work of South African botany.

Rudolph Marloth was a Prussian analytic chemist who came to South Africa in the early 1880s. His passion for botany resulted in his first publication on the Cape flora, Das Kapland (1908)- he taught chemistry at Stellenbosch University, notably to JC Smuts, and there offered a course in botany. He was a keen mountaineer and co-founder of The Mountain Club. The Flora of South Africa is Marloth's magnum opus made possible by Sir Lionell and Lady Phillips who paid for its publication and printing. Sadly, Marloth did not live to see the final volume of the work appear in print.

Veld & Flora SEPTEMBER 1976