Botanica Magnifica: Portraits of the World's Most Extraordinary Flowers and Plants (Tiny Folio)

An unabridged miniature edition of Botanica Magnifica, featuring two hundred and fifty stunning photographs of rare or exotic plants and flowers by the “Audubon of flowers,” Jonathan Singer

First published as an oversized clothbound volume in 2009, Botanica Magnifica has received widespread acclaim from the scientific and artistic communities. In the words of an ARTnews critic, Singers flowers and plants, photographed “in large scale and exquisite detail, emerge from the shadows in a manner evocative of Old Master paintings.”

Now we are pleased to offer this masterwork of botanical photography as a pocket-sized hardcover book, in our trademarked Tiny Folio format. Mirroring the design of the larger edition, this little volume is organized into five alphabetically arranged sections: (I) Orchidaceae, presenting the full diversity of orchids; (II) Florilegium, portraying the complexity and beauty of flowers; (III) Proteus, illustrating plant forms perfectly adapted for survival; (IV) Zingiberaceae, a tribute to the fascinating ginger family and (V) Botanicus, a selection of beautiful and bizarre specimens from the Smithsonians research collection. Each pictured plant is accompanied by a clear and accessible description of its botany, geography, history, and conservation.

With its marvelous reproductions and fascinating text, the Tiny Folio of Botanica Magnifica is a charming miniature version of one of the most impressive volumes of natural history ever published.

(see page 12).

W. John Kress, Ph.D., is the director of the Consortium for Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet and a curator of botany at the Smithsonian Institution. He is the author of Abbevilles Weeping Goldsmith.

Marc Hachadourian is the manager of the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections at the New York Botanic Garden.