Books in the Cambridge Library Collection - Botany and Horticulture series

Among the many interests of Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau was botany. These letters 'addressed to a lady' on the Linnaean system and the structure of plants came to the attention of Thomas Martyn, professor of botany at the University of Cambridge, who published a translation and continuation in 1785.

Agnes Arber (1879-1960) was a prominent British biologist specialising in plant morphology and comparative anatomy. First published in 1934, this volume provides a detailed comparative study of the Gramineae family of plants (including cereals, grasses and bamboos) with a short history of human interaction with these plants.

Best known for designing the Crystal Palace, Paxton was head gardener at Chatsworth by the age of twenty-three. These volumes, published between 1850 and 1853, reflect not only the Victorians' interest in gardening, but also the extraordinary lengths to which they would go in search of the unusual.

This world-famous series was begun by Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865) in 1837, and the ten volumes reissued here were produced under his authorship until 1854. Each volume contains 100 line drawings of plants, accompanied by a full Latin description, with notes in English on habitat and significant features.

Sir Charles Bunbury (1809-86) was a distinguished botanist and geologist. He corresponded copiously with Lyell, Horner, Darwin and Hooker among others. This nine-volume edition of his letters and diaries was published privately by his wife Frances Horner and her sister Katherine Lyell between 1890 and 1893.

Marianne North (1830-90), the Victorian botanist and painter, led a remarkable life, travelling independently to exotic locations to paint flora in their natural surroundings. This two-volume collection of her memoirs, edited by her sister and published in 1892, records her tropical journeys and the fascinating stories behind her art.

John Evelyn (1620-1706), diarist, gardener and founder member of the Royal Society, is best known for his Diary, the great journal of his times. Sylva, first published in 1664, was the first English-language treatise on forestry. This 1908 two-volume reissue is of the fourth edition published in the year of Evelyn's death.

The horticulturist William Aiton (1731-93) became Joseph Banks's superintendent at Kew in 1783, consolidating the status of the gardens. In compiling this three-volume botanical catalogue, published in 1789, Aiton was assisted with the identification and scientific description of some 5,600 species by the botanists Daniel Solander and Jonas Dryander.

The botanists Harvey and Sonder originally published three volumes of this work between 1860 and 1865. Reprinted in 1894, the catalogue was completed between 1896 and 1933, chiefly under the supervision of William Thiselton-Dyer. Reissued in ten parts, this significant reference work covers over 11,500 plant species in South Africa.

Sir James Edward Smith (1759-1828) was highly regarded throughout Europe as a botanist, and in 1788 founded the Linnean Society. This two-volume memoir and selection of letters was edited by his wife and published in 1832. Volume 1 includes letters from Sir Joseph Banks and Samuel Goodenough, Smith's fellow-botanist.

An author of popular works on natural history, Charles Alexander Johns (1811-74) gained recognition for his books on British plants, trees, birds and countryside walks. First published in 1851, his best-known work is this two-volume guide to British flowering plants, especially noteworthy for its meticulously drawn illustrations.

Between 1796 and 1800, librarian and botanist Jonas Dryander (1748-1810) published this five-volume work recording the contents of the huge scientific library belonging to the distinguished naturalist Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820). The work has been described as a 'lasting monument of erudition, perseverance and sound judgment'.

The botanists Harvey and Sonder originally published three volumes of this work between 1860 and 1865. Reprinted in 1894, the catalogue was completed between 1896 and 1933, chiefly under the supervision of William Thiselton-Dyer. Reissued in ten parts, this significant reference work covers over 11,500 plant species in South Africa.

The botanists Harvey and Sonder originally published three volumes of this work between 1860 and 1865. Reprinted in 1894, the catalogue was completed between 1896 and 1933, chiefly under the supervision of William Thiselton-Dyer. Reissued in ten parts, this significant reference work covers over 11,500 plant species in South Africa.

The botanists Harvey and Sonder originally published three volumes of this work between 1860 and 1865. Reprinted in 1894, the catalogue was completed between 1896 and 1933, chiefly under the supervision of William Thiselton-Dyer. Reissued in ten parts, this significant reference work covers over 11,500 plant species in South Africa.

Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865) was an eminent British botanist best known for expanding and developing the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. First published in 1903, this volume by his son Sir Joseph Hooker (1817-1911) provides an intimate biography of Hooker's life and works.

Sir Joseph Hooker (1817-1911) was one of the greatest British botanists and explorers of the nineteenth century. His journey to Northern India, the Himalayas, Nepal and Tibet was undertaken between 1847 and 1851 to collect some 7,000 specimens for the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.

Compiled over several years after various excursions at home and abroad, this 1850 catalogue by Joseph Woods (1776-1864) was originally intended for tourists visiting western Europe. Including hundreds of entries and technical descriptions, it represents one of the most scholarly amateur guides available at the time.

Frederick Orpen Bower (1855-1948) was a renowned botanist appointed Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Glasgow in 1885. Published between 1923 and 1928, this work contains the first systematic classification of ferns. Volume 1 describes and analyses the features of ferns which Bower uses in his classification.

Frederick Orpen Bower (1855-1948) was a renowned botanist appointed Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Glasgow in 1885. Published between 1923 and 1928, this work contains the first systematic classification of ferns. Volume 2 describes, analyses and classifies primitive and fossil ferns.

Frederick Orpen Bower (1855-1948) was a renowned botanist appointed Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Glasgow in 1885. Published between 1923 and 1928, this work contains the first systematic classification of ferns. Volume 3 describes, analyses and classifies extant species of ferns.

Engaging and anecdotal, Drewitt's 1928 study delves into the long and fascinating history of this botanical garden in Chelsea. Tracing its origin and antiquity, Drewitt emphasises the unique character of this peaceful garden which still teaches students the names and properties of plants, as it did in the seventeenth century.

First published in 1913, this volume contains biographies of influential botanists written by distinguished botanists of the period. A discussion of each botanist's life and scientific contribution is provided, with each contributor specialising in the same botanical area as the subject.

Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820) was an influential botanist and patron of science. He accompanied Captain Cook on the voyage of the Endeavour to the South Seas (1768-1771), financed other important expeditions, and became President of the Royal Society. This 1911 publication was the first detailed biography of this remarkable man.

Naturalist Ernest Henry Wilson (1876-1930) spent much of his career in China, collecting seeds and plant samples. In Volume 1 of this work of 1913, he describes his journey from Hupeh (Hubei), through Tibet, ending in Wa Wu Shan.

The edited notes of German botanist Theodore Vogel (1812-1841), who died during an expedition to study the vegetation of the Niger, this work was published by Hooker in 1849. It contains numerous illustrations and also includes observations about plants in Madeira, Tenerife and the Cape Verde islands

Botanist Leonard Cockayne (1855-1934) undertook a commission from a German publisher for this volume, spending nearly a decade on fieldwork before the first edition was published in 1921. In this 1928 edition, Cockayne updates the work, adding to his comprehensive account of New Zealand's plants and botanical history.

In this informative study of Britain's rich horticultural history, first published in 1829, George W. Johnson (1802-66), a chemist, political economist and practising gardener, traces the history of gardening in England, relating the art and craft of gardening to classical writers as well as modern scientists.

This version of the two editions of the Catalogus of John Gerard (1545-1612) was arranged by Benjamin Daydon Jackson, president of the Linnean Society, and first published in 1876. It provides a detailed insight into both Gerard's work, and the methods of one of the foremost Victorian taxonomists.

James Shirley Hibberd (1825-90) was a journalist and writer on gardening, whose popular works had great influence on middle-class taste. This 1869 book on ferns was particularly successful; Hibberd also wrote on floral arrangements, water gardens, ferneries and greenhouses in Rustic Adornments (1856), also available in this series.