Synopses & Reviews
The Timber Press Dictionary of Plant Names is the only reference available in English with the current names of thousands of plants found in gardens and the wild. Based in science and valuable to botanists, horticulturists, agronomists, and foresters who must work with plants on a daily basis, it is also useful for advanced gardeners who seek accurate and precise information on the plants they grow. Includes the English, French, and German common names for most of the 20,000 plants described. More than 10,000 synonyms are also included.
The level of detail in each entry is without parallel:
• Type of plant
• Life cycle
• Geographic distribution
• Growing habit
• Foliage type
• Cold-hardiness (using USDA hardiness zones)
• Flowering time
• Garden habitat
• Botanical author
• Medicinal or toxic properties
• Cut flower use and/or decorative fruits
• Fragrance value
• Endangered protection under CITES
• Vernacular name in up to three languages, with cross-references to Latin names
Review
"This is an essential work for university libraries providing botany programs and would be useful on the desk of professional botanists, horticulturists, and dedicated gardeners as well."
About the Author
Allen Coombes is an experienced and highly qualified botanist who worked for the Hillier Gardens in Hampshire, England, and is now coordinator of scientific collections at the University Botanic Garden in Puebla, Mexico. He has written widely on trees and shrubs, was a member of the Horticultural Taxonomy Group for many years, and wrote his first book on plant names in 1985.