Alex George

From 1937 to 2009 the Australian Federal, State and Territory Governments, jointly, stationed a succession of botanists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Their role was twofold: first, to service inquiries from Australia for information from the vast collections of plant specimens, literature and archives: second, to conduct research on their own special areas of interest.

Fifty-two botanists spent terms averaging a year at Kew (one twice), with visits to other herbaria in Britain and on the Continent. The information gathered supported immeasurably the quality of thousands of scientific books and papers. Further, by updating the nomenclature on specimens (often unchanged since the 19th century) they improved the standard of collections both in the herbaria visited and in Australian herbaria. With an essay on the history of the scheme and an essay on each person who held the post, this book is illustrated with photographs of each ABLO, staff at Kew and many aspects of Kew and other herbaria.

Banksias are Australia's most iconic plants after Eucalypts - known for thousands of years to Australians and - through writing and art - to many more who have never visited this land.

This extensively revised edition includes the most recently discovered Banksia, vincentia, with descriptions and illustrations of all 79 known species with many new photographs and updated species descriptions. It provides the history of their discovery, evolution, how to find and grow them and how they have inspired artists and artisans. With some 400 beautiful colour illustrations it is the comprehensive, up-to-date guide to these unique and fascinating plants.

Tables list which Banksias to grow for particular purposes and the three authors have between them, studied and grown all 79 species of Banksia, their combined experience totalling over a hundred years.

Latin is one of two acceptable languages for describing new plants, and taxonomists must be able to translate earlier texts in Latin. Providing a simple explanation of Latin grammar along with an in-depth vocabulary, this is an indispensable guide for systematic botanists worldwide. All relevant parts of speech are discussed, with accompanying examples as well as worked exercises for translating diagnoses and descriptions to and from Latin. Guidelines for forming specific epithets are also included. The authors cross-reference their grammar to Stearn's Botanical Latin and to articles in the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants. The comprehensive vocabulary is enhanced with terms from recent glossaries for non-flowering plants – lichens, mosses, algae, fungi and ferns - making this an ideal resource for anyone looking to hone their understanding of Latin grammar and to translate botanical texts from the past 300 years.

An Australian reference book on the history and sources of information especially relevant to the study of plants in Australia, including its offshore territories. It also contains biographical entries for some 2600 names of people who collected plant specimens between 1699 and 1900. Finally there is a list, with concise details, of all ships that carried natural history collectors and passed through Australian waters.