Botanical Illustration Resources: Plant Monographs/Genera Surveys

Plant Monographs/Genera Surveys with Botanical Illustrations

Anderson, Frank J.  An Illustrated Treasury of Orchids. New York: Abbeville Press, 1979. 156 pages, 72 color plates from paintings.
        The author was curator of rare books at the New York Botanical Garden and the paintings are from its archives. The commentary describes the history of each orchid, the adventures of the orchid hunters that found them and their growth habits. 72 color plates from paintings. 156 pages.

Britton, Nathaniel L., and Rose, John N.  The Cactaceae; Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family. (4 volumes).  New York:  Dover, 1963. 

Chase, Mark W., ed. The Pictorial Encyclopedia of Oncidium. New York: ZAI Publications, 1997.
        A comprehensive coverage of the oncidium group of orchids with actual-size color paintings of 759 flowers, many new species, and 71 color illustrations of full plants. 164 pages.

Cribb, Phillip. The Forgotten Orchids of Alexandre Brun. New York: Grove Press, 1992.
        Fifty-nine of Brun’s watercolors from fin de siecle France are reproduced in this oversize volume. 159 pages.

Goldblatt, Peter. The Genus Watsonia: A Systematic Monograph. Cape, South Africa: National Botanic Gardens, 1989.
        This work includes a historical review of Watsonias, their morphology, distribution, and cultivation. Included within are life-size watercolors of 24 of the 52 species painted by Fay Anderson and other artists. 149 pages.

Goldblatt, Peter, and John C. Manning.  Gladiolus in Southern Africa . Portland, OR:  Timber Press, 1998.
        Ilustrated with watercolors by Fay Anderson and Auriol Batten.  464 pages with 145 full-color watercolors.

Goldblatt, Peter. The Moraeas of Southern Africa. (Annals of Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens, vol. 14) Kirstenbosch, South Africa: National Botanic Gardens in association with the Missouri Botanic Gardens, 1986.
        This work is illustrated with approximately 60 water color drawings by Fay Anderson and 150 line drawings by Marog L. Branch and Janet Klein. It is a taxonomic study of the genus Moraea in southern Africa. 224 pp.

Goode, Douglas.  Cycads of Africa.  Gallomanor, S. A.;  D7 E Publishers, 2001.
        Includes bibliographical references (page 348) and an index.

Halda, Josef J., and Jarmila Haldova.  The Genus Daphne.  Dobre:  Sen, 2001.

Halliday, Pat.  The Illustrated Rhododendron:  Their Classification Portrayed Through the Artwork of Curtis's Botanical Magazine. Portland, Or.:  Timber Press, 2001.

Hilliard, O. M. and B. L. Burtt. Dierama, the Hairbells of Africa . Johannesburg: Acom Books, 1991.
        A revised classification for this genus of 44 species. Artist Auriol Batton illustrates 36 species with full page watercolor paintings as well as pencil sketches showing plants in their natural habitat. 37 botanical illustrations with 23 line drawings. 152 pages.

Kneller, Marianna, ed. The Book of Rhododendrons. Portland, Or.: Timber Press, 1995.
        Rhododendron species are the subject of the English painter, Marianna Kneller. Each painting illustrates the 8-month growing cycle, showing the flowering branch, bud, flower division and profile, new leaf growth, and seedhead. Rhododendron experts have contributed essays on the plant’s history and cultivation techniques.

Kramer, Jack.  A Passion for Orchids:  The Most Beautiful Orchid Portraits and Their Artists. New York:  Prestel, 2002.
        Contents:  A passion for orchids -- Western origins -- The Far East -- And all the ships at sea -- England's passion for flowers -- Orchid hunting -- The orchid observed -- The first great flower books -- Botanical periodicals -- Gallery of orchids and biographical sketches of the artists -- Orchid publications -- Bibliography -- Exhibitions -- Printing techniques.  - - - WorldCat

Mathew, Brian. The Crocus: A Revision of the Genus Crocus (Iridaceae) . Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1993. (QK 495.I75.M3 1983)
        A botanical revision of the Genus Crocus with notes on cultivation and lavishly illustrated with reproductions of paintings from a selection of sources. 127 pages.

Mathews, Lewis J. Proteas of the World. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1993.
        This text covers more than 130 examples of this family including proteas, banksias, leucodendrons, waratahs and other species and hybrids. Illustrated with detailed, full-page watercolors by artist Zoe Carter. 256 pages.

Sprunger, Samual, ed. Orchids from Curtis’s Botanical Magazine. Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1986.
        From 1787 to 1984 Curtis’s Botanical Magazine published hand-colored plates of almost 1,200 species of orchids, and they are all in this large volume beautifully reproduced in color. 525 Pages.

Sheehan, Tom and Marion Sheehan. An Illustrated Survey of Orchid Genera . Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1995.
        Each genus is completely described, with information on flowering season, habitat, and popular species as well as a distribution map. Marion Sheehan painted the illustrations from fresh plants. 158 genera are illustrated, and in cases where the genus is very large, additional illustrations show further significant characteristics. 424 pages.

Stewart, Joyce and William T. Stearn. The Orchid Paintings of Franz Bauer. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1993.
        Franz Bauer was Kew’s first botanical artist. Presented here are 63 color reproductions of almost all his complete orchid paintings. 16