Category: News from the Library
Treasures of the Rare Book Collection - Plants of Mediterranean Climate Areas
February 07, 2012
News from the Library
This digital exhibition shows off a small part of what can be found in the Arboretum Library's Rare Book Room. It's also a way of showing how library collections are connected to living collections in the Arboretum. If you have a smartphone, take The Rare Book Walk in the garden (using Google Maps) to view the plants in real time, as you look at images of the library's rare book collection.
By clicking on the image or imageslider you will be transferred to the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden Flickr-page where there is additional information about the image. Here, on the webpage, there are interesting stories about the plants shown in the exhibition. By clicking on the Google Maps-link, you will be shown where you can find that same plant as the illustrator drew in 19th century, here in the Arboretum, in the 21st century.
The plants featured in this exhibition are from Mediterranean Climate Areas, which is the type of climate in Southern California - dry summers with precipitation generally occurring during the winter.
Please note that plant names may have changed over time. The captions to each image usually reflect the plant's name according to the source. To search for current plant names, refer to The International Plant Names Index (IPNI).
Amaryllis
An amaryllis is a true bulb, like an onion, consisting of multiple encircling leaf bases, which make up the bulb. The larger the bulb, the faster it will bloom and the larger the blooms. A bulb smaller than two inches will not bloom, but once of flowering size, an Amaryllis bulb can produce flowers up to 75 years.
Amaryllis belladonna. Image source: Botanical Register Vol. IX (9: plate 714. 1823).

Find out plant location in the garden using Google Maps
The word amaryllis comes from the Greek word amaryssein, which means to sparkle, referring to the bloom. It also references the tale of the Greek maiden named Amaryllis, who created a red bloom for her true love, from her own blood. Amaryllis was a shepherdess who loved Alteo, a shepherd with Hercules' strength and Apollo's beauty. However, Alteo only loved flowers. He'd often said that he would only love a girl, who bought him a new flower. So, Amaryllis dressed in maiden's white and appeared at Alteo's door for 30 nights, each time piercing her heart with a golden arrow. When Alteo finally opened his door, he found a crimson flower, sprung from the blood of Amaryllis's heart.
Read the whole story at the Bulbs and Tubers page
More images of Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllis) family
See all of the plants sorted by family
Sorted by color - Pink flowers
See all flowers sorted by color
Winter 2012 Arboretum Library E-News
January 20, 2012
News from the Library
Hello all:
Wow! The Arboretum Library's San Jose State University Library and Information Science Intern, Kristin Abraham, created an online exhibit of early Southern California nursery catalogs while she was here last semester.

The exhibit concentrates on fruit and vegetable catalogs from the early 1900s until World War II.
It is a wonderful grouping of materials from our earliest collections. She also made a display of them in the cabinet in the middle of the Library. Come see them in person!
Click here for the New items in the Arboretum Library
Well….I wouldn’t exactly call the books “new”…The 171 titles again show the hard work of my interns trying to bring the catalog up-to-date; cataloging previously un-cataloged materials and moving items from the old classification system and wooden card catalog to the new classification system and the online catalog. We did receive a wonderful gift from Kerry Morris whose books moved swiftly into the collection. There are in the new book list too; some very nice, inspirational, books on gardens from other Mediterranean climate areas of the world. The one on Mallorca made me swoon.

The new magazine articles list is cutting edge. The termite article went right to work with a challenge we have down at the Depot. Let me know if you are interested in any of these articles.
The next meeting is Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 7:00 p.m
.jpg)
The book is Among Friends by M. F. K. Fisher; San Francisco : North Point Press. 1971.
“Among Friends is M. F. K. Fisher's fascinating memoir of her childhood in Whittier, California. In sharing these memorable and moving portraits of her family and of the town, we are given an enchanting glimpse into the early life of one of our most delightful and best-loved writers.” from Goodreads.com.
Here is a link to the books and questions we have finished.
Tell your friends!
The Bookworms story time themes and dates are below:
The story time is recommended for children ages 3-8.
This is a free program for members and free with admission for non-members. Meet in the Entrance Rotunda.
It Blooms Every Year: Aloes
Wednesdays, January 4 & 18, 10 am
Saturday, January 21, 2 pm
Let Us Have Lettuce: Winter Gardening
Wednesdays, February 1 & 15, 10 am
Saturday, February 18, 2 pm
Flitting from Flower to Flower: Pollinators
Wednesdays, March 7 & 21, 10 am
Saturday, March 17, 2 pm
The Arboretum Library hours are:
Open Tuesday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Open Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Open Sundays, 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Come visit!
Remember we are circulating to Arboretum staff and members. The circulation period for books is 3 weeks with 2 renewals if no one else wants the item. You can renew by e-mail, phone or in person. The circulation period for current magazines is 3 days with 2 renewals if no one else wants the item.
Our Botanical Information Consultant (for plant advice) is available Tuesday-Saturday, Frank.McDonough@Arboretum.org, or 626-821-3239.
For up to the minute Library News, check us out on the Arboretum’s Facebook Page.
Happy reading!
Categories
- Member Profiles
- What's Blooming
- Historic Collections
- Press Releases
- News Items
- Events & Classes
- Plant Information
- News from the Library
- All Items
Monthly Archive
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
LA Arboretum Web Communities
Subscribe
Blogroll
- American Institute of Architects
- American Society of Landscape Architects
- Association of Professional Landscape Designers
- Audubon California
- Big Orange Landmarks
- Curbed LA
- Descanso Gardens
- Farmlab
- Fullerton Arboretum
- KCRW
- LACMA
- Los Angeles Agriculture
- Los Angeles Heritage Alliance
- M&A
- MOCA
- National Trust Historic Sites Blog
- Natural History Museum
- Norton Simon
- Pacific Rose Society
- Pasadena Museum of History
- PMCA
- PreservationNation
- Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
- South Coast Botanic Garden
- Southern California Horticultural Society
- The Getty
- The Huntington Library
- Theodore Payne Foundation