A Hawaiian Florilegium

Book excerpt: The National Tropical Botanical Garden is pleased to present the Hawaiian works of internationally acclaimed botanical artist Mary Grierson. Extending a centuries-old tradition made popular in the studios of Ehret and Redoute, Ms. Grierson combines the artist's eye for beauty and balance with the botanist's need for accuracy. Native plants of Hawaii are a primary focus of this volume and the reason the Garden invited Ms. Grierson to Kauai for five working visits in the 1970s and 1980s. But the collection also reflects the Hawaiian landscape seen by contemporary residents and visitors alike - with Polynesian and modern agricultural and ornamental plant immigrants now competing with the natives for attention and for space. With his general introduction to the flora of Hawaii and in accompaniments to each painting, botanist Peter Green narrates the interaction of plants and people - through the ethnobotany and legends of the early Hawaiians, the taxonomic research of botanists past and present, and the history that brought such an incredible mix of species to the Islands. A central theme is the interaction of native and introduced plants, with its warnings about the loss of Hawaii's unique natural heritage. A Hawaiian Florilegium is a convergence of fine art, scientific illustration, and botanical history.