London: James Ridgway, [1827-1838]. Octavo, 56 handcoloured engraved plates with accompanying leaves and interleaving. Modern half morocco with gilt spine and cloth covered boards, a handsome crisp copy.

One of the most attractive of all Australian botanical books and the first to use live specimens for illustration instead of dried plants or field sketches. The species depicted were all grown from seed in London nurseries.

Sweet was a talented, hard-working horticulturist and writer with a substantial number of books to his name. The conclusion to Sweet's life was tragic;in 1826 he was accused of stealing from Kew Gardens "seven plants, value £7, and seven pots, value 6d, the goods of our Lord the King". This was a serious charge with hanging or transportation the ultimate conclusion. The charge was possibly trumped up by the Director of Kew Gardens and Sweet was found not guilty. The trial affected Sweet's mental health and he died in 1835. Flora Australasica and The Florist's Guide were his last books.

Ferguson 1144; Great Flower Books (reprint) p. 143; Nissen BBI 1924.

See also Fletcher, Harold R. The story of the Royal Horticultural Society 1804-1968. London: Oxford University Press, 1969.