<DIV><DIV><DIV><DIV><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The publishing of the<I> Flora Graeca </I>was a landmark event in 1830. Only 25 copies were published, due to the book's size of 10 double folio volumes and its numerous illustrations, and it cost over £620, a colossal sum at the time. The <I>Flora Graeca</I> brought together beautiful renderings of the fruits of the travels of British scientist John Sibthorp, who made multiple trips to the eastern Mediterranean in the early nineteenth century to collect a rich array of exotic floral specimens. Now <I>The Magnificent Flora Graeca</I> chronicles Sibthorp's immense undertaking, including brilliant selections from his groundbreaking volume.</P><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">          The story of the expeditions of Sibthorp and his renowned illustrator Ferdinand Bauer is a tale replete with larger-than-life characters and adventures on land and sea. Harris profiles the lives of Sibthorp, Bauer, and other leading characters, and explores the <I>Flora Graeca</I>'s rich cultural and scientific legacy. Sibthorp's pioneering adventures unearthed floral specimens previously unknown to science, as he collected the originals of such popular garden flowers as the <I>Crocus flavus ssp. flavus</I>, the parent of the Golden Yellow; and Cyprus's <I>Cyclamen persicum</I>, the parent of the widely grown garden cyclamens species.</P><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">          This new volume, drawn from photographs of Sibthorp's remarkably well-preserved specimens and luminous reproductions of the original watercolors and engravings by Bauer, features more images from the <I>Flora Graeca</I> than have ever been published since its first printing.</P><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">          A fascinating treasure of floral wonders, <I>The Magnificent Flora Graeca</I> is an essential addition to the bookshelf for the plant lover or anyone curious about the natural history behind their beloved garden retreats.</P></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>