Plant Hunting

8vo [24 x 17 cm]; 2 volumes, xxix, 248; ix, 276 pp, 127 plates from photos, map endpapers, index. original green cloth with gilt title lettering, edges lightly rubbed, near fine set, interior is clean and unmarked, the dust jacket for volume I is present (bit chipped at spine end, small hole, not price clipped) & is scarce. A picture of this book is a Wilson, originally worked for Kew and later became the keeper of the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University, was one of the most important plant collectors of his time, having traveled extensively in China and Japan, where he found many new species which were introduced to the west for the first time. These included lilies, rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangea, cherries, jasmine, etc. This work surveys his many travels, including Africa, Australia and New Zealand, the tropics of America, China, Japan. He provides excellent descriptions of plant life including orchids, as well as natural history, the people he encountered, and a good overview of previous plant exploration. This copy also includes the loose article, "On the Trail of E. H. Wilson", Eliot Tozer, extracted from Horticulture, November 1994, which describes Wilson's progress as a plant hunter, from the beginning of his carreer through his many discoveries, including of the regal lily, numerous new rose species, over 5.000 species of plants and seeds of over 1,500 other plant species, including 2,000 new to science. The article contains several illustrations, including his portrait.