The plant thieves : secrets of the herbarium / Prudence Gibson
- Bib ID:
- 10001980
- Format:
- Book
- Author:
- Gibson, Prudence, author
- Description:
-
- Sydney, NSW : NewSouth Publishing, 2023
- ©2023
- xvii, 254 pages ; 21 cm.
- ISBN:
-
- 9781742237688 (paperback)
- 1742237681
- Summary:
-
In The Plant Thieves, Prudence Gibson explores the secrets of the National Herbarium of New South Wales and unearths remarkable stories of plant naming wars, rediscovered lost species, First Nations agriculture, illegal drug labs and psychoactive plant knowledge. Gibson reveals the tale of the anti-inflammatory plant that saved a herbarium manager when she was collecting in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, stories about the secret Wollemi pine plantation (from one of its botanical guardians) and the truth about a beach daisy that has changed so much in 100 years that it needs to be completely reclassified. She also follows the story of the black bean Songline, a recent collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, to find the route of this important agriculture plant. The Plant Thieves is both a lament for lost and disappearing species and a celebration of being human, of wanting to collect things and of learning more about plant life and ourselves.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages [251]-254)
- Subject:
-
- National Herbarium of New South Wales
- Plants -- Nomenclature -- History
- Aboriginal Australians -- Agriculture -- History
- Plant collecting -- Australia -- History
- Botanical specimens -- Collection and preservation -- Australia
- Botany -- Australia -- Anecdotes
- Plants -- Australia
- Botany -- Australia -- History
- Australian
- Copyright:
-
In Copyright
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Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Literary, dramatic or musical work
- Published status:
- Published
- Publication date:
- 2023
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply. For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.
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