A Field Guide To Surreal Botany

Two Cranes Press presents A Field Guide to Surreal Botany, an anthology of fictional plant species that exist beyond the realm of the real, fully illustrated in gorgeous full-color by Janet Chui. The specimens contained herein--dutifully and, in some cases, painfully recorded by our keen-eyed assortment of contributing cryptobotanists, field researchers, and graduate assistants (laden with glass jars, magnifying glasses, and appropriate body armor)--are organized according to geographical region, and described in erudite detail by our contributors. Inside the book you’ll find specimens such as the Couch Kelp (Siturfatarscea velvetorleva monthlypaymetis), a floating seaweed with an inflatable bladder resembling a sofa; the Big Yellow Flower of Unnecessarily Obvious Information (Explanatum obviosis), a plant with a flower that is big and yellow; Twilight Luon-Sibir (Russica spectrata), which has an extremely short life cycle and exists in a state of probability; and forty-five other plant species from all over the world and beyond.Not since Cryptethnophytology of Latin America by Dr. Dean Jameson (Palgrave, 1978), Asian Pomological Fantastika by Sng Chen Whye (Tinhau UP, 1981), or Parallel Botany by Leo Lionni (Knopf, 1977), has such a comprehensive volume of surreal flora been assembled in one place. Produced in conjunction with the Surreal Botanists Association, A Field Guide to Surreal Botany is an unforgettable tour through the fantastical plant kingdom.Table of Contents"(Floating) Armor of The Dark Blue Heart, Armorea Navum," by Susan Fedynak"Attercopp plant, Chelicereae Telacaulum," by Alexandra O'Neal"Avian Trumpetflower, Trochilium avifructus," by Andrew Nicolle"Baby cabbage, also regionally referred to as The Leaf, Squallroot or Mother's Little Helper, Cruciferae Brassica homogenesis," by Jay Lake"big yellow flower of unnecessarily obvious information, Explanatum obviosis," by Elizabeth Langford"Bitter Mortar, Cucurbitaceae Marah," by Steve Himmer"Bone Garden, otherwise known as Adam's Ribcage, Aloe skelaphalia," by Eric J. Millar"Burning Bush Fungus, Encephalitozoon Elysium," by John Bowker"Clickweed, Everricula Pilolaqueus," by Ann Leckie"Cloud Anemone, Bromeliaceae Tillandsia nebularia," by James Trimarco"Couch Kelp, Siturfatarscea velvetorleva monthlypaymentis," by Jonathan Wonham"Devil’s Pork, Tuberaceae Tuber," by John Black"Dream Melons, Melo somnio," by Joe Hansen"Esemtep, Unclassified," by Steve Berman"Fairy apple, timewarp lemon, Atlantis Mandrake, Podophyllum sidhe," by Lucy A. Snyder"firefly bellflower (Tintinnabulum photuris), Tintinnabulum photuris," by Francesca Forrest"Flame Lily, Nymphaeaceae-flammiferum," by Matthew Baugh"Forget-me-bastard, Myosovictimis uncertae sedis," by Elaine Clift"Giant Cloud Lily, Liliaceae Lilium," by Patricia L. Havis"Haunt Vine (also known as Ghostroot and Spirit Creeper), Ipomoea Umbris," by Mark Teppo"Kitty Willow, Salix ambulara," by Mary E. Lowd"Kvetching aspen, Populus kvetchis," by H.F. Gibbard"Lautokan Ear-blossom Plant (Tautau e vata), Auriculula cosmetales," by Brendan Carson"Leonidas' Bloom, Campanula lacedaemia," by Adam Nakama"Library Plum, Bibloteca prunus," by Merrie Haskell"Nightmare Lotus, Nymphae somnium maledictus," by Kris Dikeman"Ozymandias-plant, Lamiaceae (Genus unknown)," by Cassandra Phillips-Sears"Padmamukhi (the Lotus-Mouthed), Nelumbonaceae nelumbo," by Shveta Thakrar"Poliphila, or 'Shriner Vine', Unclassified," by Victoria Elisabeth Garcia"Queen Victoria’s Bloomers, Monkey Ho, Caligula homocopulus," by Eric Schaller"Screaming Mimi, Datura clamo," by Yvonne Pronovost"Shade’s Globe (also: Sibylwort), Umberia medianus," by Darja Malcolm-Clarke"Singing Grass, unknown," by David Kelly"Stag-eye nettle, Urtica aboculus," by January Mortimer"Swift River Hopping Pitcher Plant, Pseudosarracenia verdeverminus," by Suzanne Palmer"Teslated Salishan Evergreen, Cupressuceaohm salishan nikola," by Livia Llewellyn"The Faerie Hogweed, Heracleum ignotum," by Philip J. Lees"The Nabokov, Unclassified, by Stephanie Campisi and Ben Peek"The Poseur Nosehairs, Animaceae Sominus," by Toiya Kristen Finley"The Sembla, Spasmodicus plasticosa," by Matthew Kressel"Thuringian Shade-tree, Umbropsida noctalus," by Catherine Gunson"Time Cactus, Chronocactus hematophageis," by Christopher M. Cevasco"Twilight Luon-Sibir, Russica spectrata," by Vera Nazarian"Ugly Tree, Medusa's Hairbrush, Acer horrendoturpis," by Tom Pendergrass"Waterbaby Cress, Nasturtium Charleskingsleni," by Erik Amundsen"Whistle tree, Catalpa musicalis," by Shweta Narayan"Wild Homilywort (var. Speechtree), Quercus loquatium," by Alex Chambers"Wind melon, Saturn melon, God's Eyes, Cucumis melo helioaero," by Dave Coulter