Pitcher-plants of Borneo by Philipps & Lamb
Jul 10, 2008 6:15:40 GMT -10
Post by sockhom on Jul 10, 2008 6:15:40 GMT -10
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Written by Anthea Phillips and Antony Lamb, Pitcher-plants of Borneo is quite an original book.
Besides the usual informations on descriptions, distributions and ecology which are treated fairly well, Philipps and Lamb's work also provides explanations on each bornean species history as well as clarifications on the etymology of their specific name.
The iconography consists mainly of illustrations realized by Susan Philipps. Mrs Philipps is talented and her watercolours exhale an indisputable charm.
The great strengh of this book lies in the fact that it takes up some aspects which are usually under treated. Thus, almost 30 pages are dedicated to the history and discovery of the genus Nepenthes. Readers will meet Rumphius who, while stroke by blindness, devoted most of his life to study the first Cantharifera specimens. Readers will also, in the same chapter, stumble across the magnificent plates once published in the famous Gardener's chronicle.
Another part of the book entitled "Pitcher-plants in folklore" gives colourful informations on our beloved "monkey-cups": did you know that the fluid of unopened pitchers of Nepenthes alata was used to treat diarrhoea? that Nepenthes tobaica's had, assuredly, the property to heal burns?
One might say that this book is less dense on the scientific level than other titles. Still the chapters consecrated to biology are almost impeccable and full of infomations. Pitcher-plants of Borneo is furthermore often quoted in bibliographies and other scientific papers and deserves obviously to join the works of Danser, Clarke or Jebb and Cheek.
You may have guessed it, the scientific chapters are not, to my eyes, the most interesting aspect of this book.
Those who deem flashy pictures as an essentiel quality will have to go their way. Growers who's always searching for secret growing tips will have to join the same path. But all the others, the Nepenthes ardent admirers, those who are keen on botanic, botanical history and poetry will find in this original book a certain amount of pleasure.
François Mey
Written by Anthea Phillips and Antony Lamb, Pitcher-plants of Borneo is quite an original book.
Besides the usual informations on descriptions, distributions and ecology which are treated fairly well, Philipps and Lamb's work also provides explanations on each bornean species history as well as clarifications on the etymology of their specific name.
The iconography consists mainly of illustrations realized by Susan Philipps. Mrs Philipps is talented and her watercolours exhale an indisputable charm.
The great strengh of this book lies in the fact that it takes up some aspects which are usually under treated. Thus, almost 30 pages are dedicated to the history and discovery of the genus Nepenthes. Readers will meet Rumphius who, while stroke by blindness, devoted most of his life to study the first Cantharifera specimens. Readers will also, in the same chapter, stumble across the magnificent plates once published in the famous Gardener's chronicle.
Another part of the book entitled "Pitcher-plants in folklore" gives colourful informations on our beloved "monkey-cups": did you know that the fluid of unopened pitchers of Nepenthes alata was used to treat diarrhoea? that Nepenthes tobaica's had, assuredly, the property to heal burns?
One might say that this book is less dense on the scientific level than other titles. Still the chapters consecrated to biology are almost impeccable and full of infomations. Pitcher-plants of Borneo is furthermore often quoted in bibliographies and other scientific papers and deserves obviously to join the works of Danser, Clarke or Jebb and Cheek.
You may have guessed it, the scientific chapters are not, to my eyes, the most interesting aspect of this book.
Those who deem flashy pictures as an essentiel quality will have to go their way. Growers who's always searching for secret growing tips will have to join the same path. But all the others, the Nepenthes ardent admirers, those who are keen on botanic, botanical history and poetry will find in this original book a certain amount of pleasure.
François Mey
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