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An entertaining and enlightening compendium of the
world's most amazing and bizarre plants, revealing their
secrets, history, and loreWhat happens when you give a
plant a polygraph test? Can a flower really turn a human
into a zombie? What gives the gingko tree its stink? The
Big, Bad Book of Botany holds the incredible answers to
all of these questions and more. From absinthe to
zubrowka (a popular ingredient in Polish vodkas),
Michael Largo takes you through the historical and
agricultural evolution of hundreds of plant species,
revealing astonishing facts along the way. You'll be
introduced to magic mushrooms, superfoods, and toxic
teas. You'll learn about plants so valuable they have
started international wars, so evolved they can trick
animals into helping them survive, and so deadly a
single taste of one will kill you. Featuring more than
one hundred and forty illustrations, this fascinating
and fun A-to-Z encyclopedia for all ages will transform
the way you look at the natural world.Did you know? The
word hashish comes from the Arabic hashshashin, the name
for a group of Persian assassins who were given the drug
to calm their nerves before each assignment. The fossil
of the oldest-known tree to have thrived on the planet
was found in New York's Catskill Mountains, and dates
back to more than 360 million years ago. The avocado,
though delicious to humans, is toxic to most animals.
Sunflowers grow according to a mathematical formula
known as the ''golden ratio,'' and almost always produce
exactly 55 or 144 seeds.A-to-Z Encyclopedia!For all
ages!More than 140 Photos & Illustrations |
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