| dc.description.abstract | Use of scientific (Latin) names of living organisms
is a basic norm in all scientific literature. Yet,
to write these names correctly is a daunting task
for not only the novices, but even seasoned professionals.
This is particularly true in agroforestry
literature, where we often deal with little-known
and underexploited species. Many authors have a
tendency to refer to them with common or
parochial names only. But different plants may
have the same common name and the same plant
may have different common names in different
places. Furthermore, as knowledge evolves continuously,
the Latin names of some of the plants,
especially the little-studied ones that are common
in agroforestry, may be revised according to the
rules of the International Code of Botanical
Nomenclature. Therefore, it is essential that unambiguous
and currently accepted Latin names of
plants are given in scientific literature and even
in international commerce. Authoritative books
and well-researched reference materials that
accurately give this information, though a must for
scientific writing, are hard to find.
This remarkable book fills that void. It is a
thoroughly researched and comprehensive publication,
which contains taxonomic information for
nearly 10,000 species of economically important
vascular plants from all over the world. That the
book was reviewed before its publication by 150
specialists is a feature that most other publications
cannot claim. The book contains two major parts,
each arranged alphabetically. The first, 536 pages
long, is the ‘Catalog of Economic Plants.’ It
contains scientific names of vascular plants along
with associated data such as synonymy, common
names, economic impacts, and geographical distributions.
The second part, the ‘Index to Common
Names,’ is 213 pages of information in small print,
providing a list of 19,200 common names,
including nearly 7,500 non-English derivations, of
the plants included in Part one. Thus, starting from
a common name of a plant, a user can locate its
relevant botanical data in Part one.
As already mentioned, a reference book of this
nature is a must for all agroforestry students and
researchers. Almost all the trees that this reviewer
has looked for randomly are listed in the book. If
some are not (e.g., Allophyllus africanus P. Beauv.,
Conocarpus lancifolius Engl., and Rothmania
spp.), it could well be that the species have undergone
name changes, about which the reviewer is
not aware. Admittedly, the common names are not
exhaustive, especially when it comes to non-
English derivations; but it is almost impossible,
nor is it necessary, to list all the innumerable local
names of all the species in a compilation like this.
Readers need to be cautioned, however, that this
book is not a species-identification guide.
The hard-bound book is very well produced. Its
consistency of formatting is admirable. All in all,
it is an invaluable reference book. By producing
this book, its authors and the Agricultural
Research Service of the United States Department
of Agriculture that supported the compilation of
the book have provided an outstanding service to
plant-research community all over the world. | en_US |
