Flora's Lexicon: An Interpretation Of The Language And Sentiment Of Flowers; With An Outline Of Botany

by Catharine Harbeson Waterman

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jane]

Sending secret messages with flowers was a popular Victorian pastime, as this elegant volume demonstrates. Hand your true love a posy of camellia and scarlet ipomoea and you're saying "I attach myself to you" and "my fate is in your hands."
I think this flowery form of crypto-communication needs a major update. I'd like to expand the form to include those diffcult-to-deliver social cues with which we all need help. Here are a few possible suggestions. When I present you with a a small euphorbia, here's what I'm saying: "your pants are unzipped." A spray of ivy? "You've got spinach stuck on your teeth." Mint? "Phew! Bad breath." A leaf of skunk cabbage? "Beware, I fart in elevators." Don't you think a book like this would sell like hotcakes?