Transvaal Wild Flowers Book, by Gerrit Germishuizen and painted by Anita Fabian

Transvaal Wild Flowers

 Transvaal Wild Flowers
Paintings by Anita Fabian
Text by Gerrit Germishuizen
 
IN TRANSVAAL WILD FLOWERS Anita Fabian's paintings present an extensive array of some of the diverse flora of the Transvaal, and are designed to help the wild-flower enthusiast to identify the plants that are most readily to be found in the veld. Representatives from 87 families are illustrated, from the smallest herbs through bulbous plants and shrubs to flowering trees. Some of the plants shown are common, some are rare, and a few are newly discovered species, all accurately portrayed in the exquisite medium of watercolour.

The book covers a great variety of Transvaal wild plants, illustrating more than 700 species of over 400 different genera, grouped on 134 full-colour plates and arranged in standard botanical An important advantage of the format is that the descriptive text and distribution details for each species fall opposite its illustration, which makes for easy reference. Mr Germishuizen introduces each family with a brief description and information on its status in a world context, and the medicinal and herbal uses of the plants are given where these are known. The species' descriptions are concise and simply expressed, and there is a comprehensive glossary for the botanical terms used.

An unusual feature of the text is the inclusion of the derivation of each plant's botanical name, which sometimes honours a botanist or early plant-collector, or relates to a particular characteristic of the plant. This adds interest and definition to the internationally accepted names.

This book is an invaluable source of reference for any nature-lover, a welcome addition to botanical literature and a work of art in its own right.