Flora

Let the experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew guide you around the beautiful and mysterious world that is the plant kingdom.. From regulating the air we breathe to providing food clothes fuels and medicines - plants are fundamental to our lives. Discover an extraordinary diversity of species which includes a grass that grows a metre a day roots that breathe air and queen of the night cactuses whose rare blooms vanish before dawn.. In a combination of art and science Flora celebrates plants from majestic trees to microscopic algae explaining how they germinate grow and reproduce. It presents species that have evolved to accommodate pollinating insects such as the foxglove and plants that have adapted to flourish in even the most hostile of habitats.. Pierre-Joseph Redoute in the 18th-century was described as the Raphael of flowers. Flora showcases his botanical paintings as well as those of Georg Ehret and others in this gorgeous visual celebration of plants through the ages.. Whether you are a keen gardener naturalist or botany student this beautiful book is a treat that will entice inform and amaze.