Oriental Textbook and Language of Flowers - H.G. Adams
H.G. Adams’ 1851 book is unusual in that it contains very little in the way of floral illustration; what it does have is decorative borders on every page that provide a unique and unforgettable look. The text of Oriental Textbook and Language of Flowers is very poetic, with clever quatrains that give an expanded sense of what meaning each plant is supposed to be used for.
Adams uses poetic allusions to expand upon the simple definitions of floral words - "Bitter as Wormwood to the taste, is absence from the heart."
Unusual in 'Oriental Textbook and Language of Flowers' are the beautiful colored borders that surround each page.
A page of Adams' definitions. Note that he associates white acacia with chaste love while Flora's Dictionary says it signifies elegance.