Vademecum of Imaginary Flora Naturalis

About the book:

This book is a collection of the most stunning flowers you can imagine, and of their amazing properties. It offers a description of their origin, that is the result of the intertwining of two tales, the reunion of two women parted by latitude and time. These two fighters, bold and passionate –one, about botany, the other, about art– bring this Vademecum to life. It abounds in wit, humor, romanticism, ecology, and history. The micro-tales condensed in each flower are a genuine celebration of culture and nature.

Excerpt:

"Aelia": Its scent induces deep drowsiness in disenchanted lovers, and eventually amnesia. As they wake up, those who forget and those who are forgotten pluck this flower to woo former lovers. "Xindra": Among its leaves, the blue dragonfly from Zanzibar makes its nest. For this reason, the air announcing rain in these lands is filled with its scent. "Izael": From its stem, an exquisite wine is distilled. Eating its leaves will prolong youth. Its flower’s scent lingers in the atmosphere for months. Its roots sooth any form of pain. Cutting one of these plants will exterminate the whole species.

Translated by Natalia Barry / Edited by Laura Estefanía