"Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest enabled Wendy and I to work together as she wrote the text and I painted the fruits. There were many exciting trips into remote rainforests to find our subjects. The project was spread over 17 years and was a most enjoyable period in our careers." W.T.Cooper
This definitive work, 17 years in the making, covers the fruiting plants of Australia's tropical rainforest in Queensland extending from Rockhampton on the Tropic of Capricorn through to the Torres Strait. It identifies and describes 2,436 species of which 1,236 are illustrated in vibrant colour.
Each species (except for a few which are leafless) is accompanied by ?a line illustration of its leaf as an aid to identification. It is a testimony to Wendy and Bill Coopers' passion for the Australian rainforest that ?has resulted in this fine book, bestowing the reader with art of unparalleled beauty alongside meticulous scientific research and expertise.Looking through this magnificent volume, one cannot help but be impressed by the academic and scientific importance of the text in combination with such a dazzling collection of paintings. It is indeed a book of art as well as a book of science. The Coopers have earned themselves a place as pioneers in botanical history for their approach to the study of tropical rainforest plants using fruits as the primary means of identification.
This book gives readers from all walks of life the ability to identify and appreciate the extraordinary diversity of the colourful fruits of the Australian tropical rainforest. Rainforest varies from the extremes of deciduous vine thickets to the classic lush wet rainforests and mangroves, all of which are covered in this book. Three maps are included which show all areas mentioned within the plant distribution descriptions.This is book is currently available online through Nokomis and Andrew Isles booksellers.
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