Synopses & Reviews
Southern Asia is a vast and ecologically diverse region that extends from the deserts of Afghanistan to the rainforests of Thailand, and is home to a marvelously rich palm flora. Palms of Southern Asia is the only complete field guide to the 43 genera and 352 species of palms and rattans that occur in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. This attractive guide's handsome illustrations and succinct, authoritative, and jargon-free text make identification easy. Each species account includes the correct scientific and common names, and fully describes morphology, habitat, and uses. Featuring a distribution map for most species and 256 full-color photographs, this is also the only field guide to cover the extremely diverse palm flora of Vietnam, and the first to offer a taxonomic overview of the rattan species of Southern Asia.
Palms of Southern Asia is a book of major importance for botanists and an invaluable aid for naturalists and conservationists, and it's the perfect field guide for ecotourists traveling in the region.
- Covers all 352 naturally occurring palms in Southern Asia
- Features full-color photographs of 256 species, many never before illustrated
- Includes a distribution map for most species
- Provides the first taxonomic overview of the rattans of Southern Asia
Review
"This is truly a field guide with descriptions that give field characters that will make it easy to identify species. . . . This is a guide that is obviously based on extensive field work by the author and is user friendly. A most useful addition for anyone interested in palms."--Ghillean Prance, Biologist
Review
"This field guide by Henderson includes all 352 naturally occurring palm species in the region ranging from Afghanistan to Japan, south through India and Thailand. . . . The book is well organized and designed, and certainly small enough for fieldwork."--Choice
Review
"The Palms of Southern Asia is going to be an extremely useful book that will earn Henderson immense respect and gratitude in the region and throughout the botanical community."--William J. Baker, Kew Bulletin
Review
This field guide by Henderson includes all 352 naturally occurring palm species in the region ranging from Afghanistan to Japan, south through India and Thailand. . . . The book is well organized and designed, and certainly small enough for fieldwork. Choice
Review
This is truly a field guide with descriptions that give field characters that will make it easy to identify species. . . . This is a guide that is obviously based on extensive field work by the author and is user friendly. A most useful addition for anyone interested in palms. Ghillean Prance
Review
The Palms of Southern Asia is going to be an extremely useful book that will earn Henderson immense respect and gratitude in the region and throughout the botanical community. Biologist
Synopsis
Southern Asia is a vast and ecologically diverse region that extends from the deserts of Afghanistan to the rainforests of Thailand, and is home to a marvelously rich palm flora.
Palms of Southern Asia is the only complete field guide to the 43 genera and 352 species of palms and rattans that occur in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. This attractive guide's handsome illustrations and succinct, authoritative, and jargon-free text make identification easy. Each species account includes the correct scientific and common names, and fully describes morphology, habitat, and uses. Featuring a distribution map for most species and 256 full-color photographs, this is also the only field guide to cover the extremely diverse palm flora of Vietnam, and the first to offer a taxonomic overview of the rattan species of Southern Asia.
Palms of Southern Asia is a book of major importance for botanists and an invaluable aid for naturalists and conservationists, and it's the perfect field guide for ecotourists traveling in the region.
- Covers all 352 naturally occurring palms in Southern Asia
- Features full-color photographs of 256 species, many never before illustrated
- Includes a distribution map for most species
- Provides the first taxonomic overview of the rattans of Southern Asia
Synopsis
"This is a very well-organized field guide. It is clear in its presentation of the facts and the language is without unnecessary complications. The science behind this popular presentation is very sound. The descriptions in general are very concise."--Henrik Balslev, University of Aarhus, Denmark
Synopsis
"This is a very well-organized field guide. It is clear in its presentation of the facts and the language is without unnecessary complications. The science behind this popular presentation is very sound. The descriptions in general are very concise."--Henrik Balslev, University of Aarhus, Denmark
Synopsis
Southern Asia is a vast and ecologically diverse region that extends from the deserts of Afghanistan to the rainforests of Thailand, and is home to a marvelously rich palm flora.
Palms of Southern Asia is the only complete field guide to the 43 genera and 352 species of palms and rattans that occur in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. This attractive guide's handsome illustrations and succinct, authoritative, and jargon-free text make identification easy. Each species account includes the correct scientific and common names, and fully describes morphology, habitat, and uses. Featuring a distribution map for most species and 256 full-color photographs, this is also the only field guide to cover the extremely diverse palm flora of Vietnam, and the first to offer a taxonomic overview of the rattan species of Southern Asia.
Palms of Southern Asia is a book of major importance for botanists and an invaluable aid for naturalists and conservationists, and it's the perfect field guide for ecotourists traveling in the region.
- Covers all 352 naturally occurring palms in Southern Asia
- Features full-color photographs of 256 species, many never before illustrated
- Includes a distribution map for most species
- Provides the first taxonomic overview of the rattans of Southern Asia
Synopsis
"This is a very well-organized field guide. It is clear in its presentation of the facts and the language is without unnecessary complications. The science behind this popular presentation is very sound. The descriptions in general are very concise."--Henrik Balslev, University of Aarhus, Denmark
About the Author
Andrew Henderson is a curator at the Institute of Systematic Botany at the New York Botanical Garden. His books include "Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas" and "Flowering Plants of the Neotropics" (both Princeton).
Table of Contents
FOREWORD, by John Dransfield 8
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 9
INTRODUCTION 11
Palm Regions in Southern Asia 11
Layout of the Book 17
Classification of Southern Asian Palms 20
Morphology of Palms 20
Key to the Genera of Palms in Southern Asia 25
THE PALMS OF SOUTHERN ASIA 29
1. Areca 29
2. Arenga 31
3. Bentinckia 36
4. Borassodendron 37
5. Borassus 37
6. Calamus 38
7. Caryota 92
8. Ceratolobus 96
9. Chuniophoenix 97
10. Clinostigma 98
11. Cocos 98
12. Corypha 99
13. Cyrtostachys 101
14. Daemonorops 101
15. Eleiodoxa 109
16. Eugeissona 110
17. Guihaia 111
18. Hyphaene 112
19. Iguanura 112
20. Johannesteijsmannia 115
21. Kerriodoxa 115
22. Korthalsia 116
23. Licuala 119
24. Livistona 131
25. Loxococcus 133
26. Maxburretia 134
27. Myrialepis 135
28. Nannorrhops 135
29. Nenga 136
30. Nypa 137
31. Oncosperma 138
32. Orania 139
33. Phoenix 1
34. Pholidocarpus 143
35. Pinanga 144
36. Plectocomia 155
37. Plectocomiopsis 158
38. Rhapis 159
39. Rhopaloblaste 163
40. Salacca 163
41. Satakentia 165
42. Trachycarpus 166
43. Wallichia 169
APPENDIX: Checklist of Species by Country or Region 175
REFERENCES 183
INDEX OF COMMON NAMES 187
INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES 191