Plant Hunters

I had a less than flattering night, and now, I'm hungover.. It was Char's birthday, and there was drama. I'll write about it some other time.

I read the book The Plant Hunters: Two Hundred Years of Adventure and Discovery Around the World by Toby Musgave, Chris Gardner and Will Musgrave.

I am going to review the book because I'm forgetful. There notes are to myself, just so I can remember these characters. For the mots part, I left out all the important adventures. I just wanted to get an idea of who and what these figures of history are.

(Just a personal note: all of these guys are bad-asses, and all of them had incredible adventures)

 The book is divided into nine chapters. 

1. Endeavor and Expansion: Sir Joseph Banks 

Banks went with Captain Cooks on a world-wide expedition in 1768. Although he collected mostly samples, he is attributed with introducing Britain to the Callistemon Citrinus. (There are of course, others that he introduced)

  Sir Joseph Banks was the father of plant hunting in Britain and encouraged a foreign policy of plant collecting. 

2. To the Fairest Cape: Francis Masson

In 1772, Francis Masson explored South Africa and brought back various exotic plants such as the bird-of paradise flower (strelizia reginae)

3. A walk on the Wild Side: David Douglas

David Douglas explored America in around 1824. The Douglas Fir is named after him, and he formed the basis for the forestry industry in North America with his descriptions of the Douglas Fir, the Sitka Spruce and Monterey Pine.  

4.On Top pf the World: Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker

He explored Sikkim and is credited with starting Rhododendron-mania.

5. Fortune Favors the Brave: Robert Fortune

Robert Fortune explored China and is responsible for establishing the East India Company's tea industry in India. His first trip was in 1843.

6. Brothers in the Nursery: The Lobbs and the Veitch Dynasty

This chapter is about William Lobb and his brother Thomas Lobb, They explored South America and teh Phillipines. Also, the James Veitch & Sons was the dominate force of the nursery trade in Britian in the 19th century. 

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7. Chinese Puzzle : Ernest Wilson
He explored South- East Asia and brought back samples of the dove tree.

8. A Forest of Rhododendrons: George Forrest

He explored Tibet and China. In 1905, he was in the Yunnan province. 

His account of escaping from the Llames is truly brutal, and he introduced flowers like the Primula Vialii

9. Kingdom of the Blue Poppy: Frank Kingdom Ward  

Ward explored south-east Tibet, and one of his more popular discoveries is the Giant Cowslip .