The Titanopsis Group Sample Chapter: Didymaotus

Steven Hammer is a secretive author: he wants to keep his book a surprise until it comes out in print. But Little Sphaeroid Press has talked him into allowing us to release a preview chapter of the book anyway. It’s the shortest chapter, true, but itshould give you a sense for how beautiful the book is going to be. Didymaotus is also one of those plants that everyone is surprised to find they’ve never heard of. How is it that such a charismatic mimicry plant has escaped our attention for so long?

A watercolor by Gerhard Marx opens the chapter and depicts two views of Didymaotus in habitat, one showing the delicate pink and uniquely twinned flowers that give this monotypic genus its name. Every chapter in the book (and indeed, the series) begins with a unique, newly-commissioned work of art. Now, read the text—that’s Steven’s engaging, readable (some would say weird!) text alright. This is the sort of botanical book you’ll actually sit and read from cover to cover and then return to again and again, puzzling out the intricacies of these amazing plants and their histories. It’s a text that invites—and rewards—re-reading.

[Click to download a full-size sample pdf of this chapter]