Given the frequent movement of commercial plants outside their native location, the consistent and standard use of plant names for proper identification and communication has become increasingly important. This second edition of World Economic Plants: A Standard Reference is a key tool in the maintenance of standards for the basic science underlyin

This one-semester text is designed for an upper level botany course. Plants in our World emphasizes how people use plants; including fundamental information on morphology, anatomy, and taxonomy as a foundation of general botany. Now in full color, the fourth edition includes molecular data that has immensely altered the understanding of relationships among flowering plants and recently pinpointed the origin of numerous crops. Taxonomy of species has been updated to discuss the system of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group.

In 1971, Dr. Quentin Jones, now of the National Hawaii, where an international panel convened to Program Staff, SEA, USDA, suggested that the discuss and assemble information on underexploit Plant Taxonomy Laboratory devise a format for ed tropical legumes. Conversations at that meeting concise write-ups on 1,000 economic plants (Duke and subsequent correspondence with the partici and Terrell, 1974; Duke et al. , 1975). Dr. C. F. pants also yielded new information on some of the Reed was contracted to search the literature on tropical legumes. Finally in 1978, 100 copies of the writeups these economic plants, which included 146 species of legumes. From 1971 through 1974, Dr. Reed were delivered to the International Legume Con prepared rough drafts of write-ups on the 1,000 ference at Kew, July 24th-August 4, and all were species. It was my responsibility to establish the given to potential cooperators before my lecture on format and monitor the write-ups, to ensure that the manual (July 31st). New information presented they would answer many questions on legumes in lectures at that conference and personal com directed to the USDA by our taxpaying public. munications behind the scenes have also been used Since then, a computerized system alerts me to to update and embellish the write-ups so that they new publications on legumes. I have ordered for are more than a bibliographic echo. our files copies of the more promising documents.

This book offers an up-to-date account of important crops grown worldwide. It provides detailed discussion on the history of plant exploration, migration, domestication and distribution, and crop improvement. The text starts with the origin and diversification of cultivated plants, followed by discussion on tropical, subtropical and temperate crops that are sources of food, beverages, spices and medicines, as well as plant insecticides, timber plants and essential oil-yielding plants. The genetic and evolutionary aspects of different plants and their health benefits are highlighted. The book covers topics dealing with biodiversity conservation, petro-crops, ethnobotanical studies, and important sub-tropical and temperate plants that have commercial importance. The significance of major plant species under each category is described in detail. Illustrated with numerous well-labelled line diagrams and pictures, this book will be useful for students of botany, food and nutrition, forestry, agriculture, horticulture, plant breeding and environmental science.

Plants of the World is the first book to systematically explore every vascular plant family on earth—more than four hundred and fifty of them—organized in a modern phylogenetic order. Detailed entries for each family include descriptions, distribution, evolutionary relationships, and fascinating information on economic uses of plants and etymology of their names. All entries are also copiously illustrated in full color with more than 2,500 stunning photographs. A collaboration among three celebrated botanists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plants of the World is authoritative, comprehensive, and beautiful. Covering everything from ferns to angiosperms, it will be an essential resource for practicing botanists, horticulturists, and nascent green thumbs alike.

A comprehensive survey of the plants that provide food, beverages, spices, and flavorings, this book will serve as an invaluable reference to gardeners, ethnobotanists, nutritionists, culinary professionals, dieticians, and food enthusiasts. This scientifically accurate guide will allow them to identify all the major plant-derived foods and flavors, research culinary uses, and understand their dietetic and nutritional properties. Introductory chapters cover the various categories of plant use, including cereals, pulses (legumes), nuts and seeds, fruits, vegetables, culinary herbs, sugar plants, beverages, spices, and flavorings. The core of the volume is an encyclopedic description of more than 350 food and flavor plants in use worldwide, with over 1000 color photographs. This accessible, pictorial guide is a concise source of practical information, not readily available elsewhere, and should be on every food enthusiast's bookshelf.

Many North American plants have characteristics that are especially promising as candidates for expanding our food supply and generating new economically competitive crops. This book is an informative analysis of the top 100 indigenous food plants of North America, focusing on those species that have achieved commercial success or have substantial market potential. The book's user-friendly format provides concise information on each plant. It examines the geography and ecology, history, economic and social importance, food and industrial uses, and the economic future of each crop.