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Arthur O. Tucker, Jules Janick. Springer, 2020

A detailed examination of the manuscript of 1552 now known as the Codex Cruz-Badianus, or the Aztec Herbal. The original Codex was written in the Nahuatl language in Mexico in 1552 by Martin de La Cruz, and translated into Latin by Juan Badiano. This book reproduces the 185 colour plant illustrations from the manuscript, with identification of the plants and translation of the text describing their medicinal uses by the Aztecs. Modern colour photographs of the plants are included.

Roy A. Earle, Janice E. Round. Artwork by Janet Snyman. Privately published, 2021

A beautifully-produced book which covers all aspects of these unique succulents, known as 'flowering stones' in their native South Africa. An account of 40 accepted species forms the core of the book, covering taxonomy, habitat and conservation, enhanced by numerous colour photographs and maps. A special feature of the book is the outstanding artwork by Janet Snyman, illustrating each of the species.

The book is a comprehensive and beautifully illustrated compendium of the characteristics and properties of the plants used in making beer around the world. More than 500 plant species are given a scientific description, an account of which parts of the plant are employed in brewing, as well as details of chemical composition, potential toxicity, and examples of beers and styles in which each plant is typically used. The author’s delicate black and white line drawings enhance every page.

This substantial book is the catalogue of an exhibition of early herbals held at the Morgan Library & Museum, New York, in 2023. The 27 choice herbals date from the 15^th to early 17^th centuries, and show the evolution of early book printing and herbal illustration. Every page features colour illustrations from these beautiful early medicinal books, as well as their impressive bindings. Scholarly essays examine the history of each featured herbal.

The 367 exquisite hand-coloured plates of the “Hortus Eystettensis”, published in 1613 with elaborate descriptions to record the palatial gardens in Eichstätt, Bavaria, were a landmark in botanical illustration. This facsimile edition, featuring authoritative texts  in English, German & French and a present-day taxonomic classification, preserves a treasured florilegium for posterity. The plates were digitised from the original handcoloured copy held in the Eichstatt-Ingolstadt University Library. 3 magnificent volumes in a boxed set.

Pioneering Victorian era British botanist Anna Atkins documented botanical species using a completely new artistic medium. The distinctive cyanotype photograms of algae and ferns she created were made into some of the first books to feature photographic images. The process, which involved fixing the object on sensitized paper and exposing it directly to sunlight, results in the Prussian blue pigment that forms the characteristic colouring to these artworks. Atkins’ albums “British Algae” (1843–1853) and “Cyanotypes of British and Foreign Ferns” (1853) are both extremely rare works and are reprinted here in their entirety for the first time.

Mongolia is renowned for its unique natural ecosystems, including the southern edge of the Siberian Taiga meeting with the northern fringe of the Central Asian steppe and desert. Despite its ecological significance, the flora of Mongolia has remained somewhat mysterious. In a collaborative effort ranging from 2016 to 2021, the research team from Korea National Arboretum and the National University of Mongolia, as well as taxonomists from Japan, Russia, and China, surveyed the flora of Mongolia. They compiled a checklist of 3,041 plant species in Mongolia. The resulting book includes approximately 10,000 colour photos and detailed descriptions of the plants, along with some atmospheric illustrations of the Mongolian steppes.

This handsomely illustrated book documents the plants used by traditional herbal healers in the remote Himalayan state of Sikkim, northeast India. Each plant has a one page profile with colour photos, full botanical description and details of habitat and distribution as well as the use of the plant against specific ailments. A total of 443 plant species are described. The authors undertook extensive field work involving the network of local herbal healers across Sikkim, and an interesting appendix presents portraits and brief biographies of 28 traditional healers.

The European or Mediterranean cultivated olive (Olea europaea L., subsp. europaea, var. europaea) is an ancient crop notable for its early domestication. Today, hundreds of olive varieties are grown to produce high-quality fruit for oil and table olives for human consumption. Outside the Mediterranean Basin, where it has been present for over 6,000 years, olive cultivation has spread to many other countries. These new olive-growing areas are helping further the expansion of the industry, due to increased awareness of the nutritional and health properties of extra virgin olive oil. This book is a much-needed update on olive biology and cultivation, with contributions from leading international experts. The text is illustrated with colour photographs from many olive orchards.