Through several centuries, the interacting influence of botanical artists and scientists has largely escaped interpretation. Although flower paintings are viewed in galleries and analytical plant drawings are stored in herbaria or museums, artists and scientists have long enriched each other's worlds. In metaphorically 'peeling back the petals', this book explores plant portraiture and the context of its visibility in order to discover the meanings ascribed to different forms of botanical imagery. The authors' texts are enhanced and liberally illustrated by works of some of the countless travellers, botanists and artists who have so passionately and meticulously recorded South Africa's rich floral heritage. Also included is a Concise Dictionary of South African Botanical Artists, the first to be compiled and published, offering a succinct listing with over 250 entries.