Botanical Magazine Monograph: The Genus Lachenalia: The Genus Lachenalias

Description

This is the first complete and illustrated monograph of the genus Lachenalia, a horticulturally important and botanically diverse plant group. Lachenalia ranks with Gladiolus as one of the two most popular genera of South African bulbous plants worldwide, and next to Ornithogalum is the second-largest member of the family Hyacinthaceae in southern Africa. The flowers of some species have exceptionally showy blooms that occur in numerous interesting colours, shapes and sizes, and their fascinating leaves, many of which are attractively spotted or barred, or covered with attractive hairs or pustules. The flowers of many species are attractive in another dimension in that they emit distinctive aromas, ranging from spicy (like cloves) to various degrees of sweet (like a mixture of carnations and orchids), while one species is strongly coconut-scented. All species are described, classified and illustrated, with detailed text on history, morphology, phylogeny, phytogeography, pollination biology, cultivation and propagation. This book includes many highly attractive species which have never been illustrated in colour before, with 11 new taxa, ten of which are new species. This will become the standard reference work on all aspects of the genus and will appeal to botanists and taxonomists, bulb-growers, horticulturalists, gardeners, collectors of fine botanical works, ecologists and nature conservationists, as well as libraries and universities.

Graham Duncan is a Specialist Horticulturist and Curator of Bulbous Plants Living Collection based at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, and has worked there since 1979.

"[N]owhere else will you find such a combination of photographs, paintings, detailed descriptions, a key, distribution and cultivation information, written by the one person who knows the genus like no-one else. This is a book to use and to treasure."-- "Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society" A beautifully produced book. . . . No taxonomic monograph is ever the final word--new species will be discovered, and changes to nomenclature will occur. However, The Genus Lachenalia will no doubt stand as one of the significant milestones of South African botanical publishing for decades to come. It will be a very welcome addition to the libraries of botanists, horticulturalists, conservationists and collectors of Africana.-- "South African Journal of Science"