The Endemic Flora of Tasmania

The Endemic Flora of Tasmania is a six-volume botanical book, with text by Winifred Mary Curtis^[1] and coloured lithographs by renowned botanical illustrator Margaret Stones.^[2]

The work was commissioned and sponsored by Lord Talbot de Malahide and was published by Ariel Press, London between 1967 and 1978. It has been referred to as "one of the foremost botanical publications of the 20th century." ^[3]

Stones was working as an illustrator at Kew Gardens in the 1950s and from 1956 was the principal contributing artist to Curtis's Botanical Magazine. In 1961, Lord Talbot, a keen gardener, rare plant enthusiast and Tasmanian property owner commissioned her for a group of 35 drawings of Tasmanian plants.^[3] The Talbot family had owned Malahide Estate, near Fingal, Tasmania since 1824.^[4] He later decided to expand the commission and publish the work as a series of books, engaging Curtis to write the text to accompany the final 254 drawings.^[3] Collection of the plant material was done by Talbot and Curtis after which they were sent by airfreight to Stones in London for illustrating.

Lord Talbot died in 1973, after the 4th volume was published. Publication of the final two volumes were coordinated by his sister, the Honourable Rose Talbot.^[5]

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