Book excerpt: "Barbara Jeppe, botanical artist extraordinaire, began work on the paintings in July 1971 and for the next 28 years she collected and painted over 200 species of Amaryllidaceae. After her death in 1999, her daughter, Leigh Voigt, a versatile and highly acclaimed artist herself, picked up where she left off and painted most of the subsequently described species. This thorough easy-to-use guide is the first book dedicated entirely to the 18 genera in the family Amaryllidaceae in southern Africa. Apart from the over 240 exceptional watercolour plates there are detailed distribution maps and magnificent photographs showing plants in typical habitat conditions. The text has been written by one of the most knowledgeable horticulturists and botanists in the field, the inimitable Graham Duncan, who has written many books and articles on bulbs. The comprehensive text includes a full description of each species, a short history of the discovery of each plant, various aspects of growth, pollination, locality preference and affinities with similar species. There is a separate chapter on the cultivation of the species in the summer and winter rainfall areas in southern Africa and also in the northern hemisphere."--Publisher.