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Ancient Wine The Search for the Origins of VinicultureAuthor(s) M Patrick GriffithSource Economic Botany 58(3)488-488 2004Published By The New York Botanical GardenDOI httpdxdoiorg1016630013-0001(2004)058[0488DFABRE]20CO2URL httpwwwbiooneorgdoifull1016630013-0001282004290585B04883ADFABRE5D20CO3B2
BioOne (wwwbiooneorg) is a nonprofit online aggregation of core research in the biological ecological andenvironmental sciences BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books publishedby nonprofit societies associations museums institutions and presses
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Economic Botany 58(3) pp 486ndash497 2004q 2004 by The New York Botanical Garden Press Bronx NY 10458-5126 USA
BOOK REVIEWS
DANIEL F AUSTIN BOOK REVIEW EDITOR
Women amp Plants Gender Relations in BiodiversityManagement amp Conservation Howard PatriciaL 2003 Zed Books Ltd 7 Cynthia Street LondonN1 9JF United Kingdom and Room 400 175 FifthAvenue New York NY 10010 USA wwwzedbooksdemoncouk xx 1 298 pp (hardcover)US$ 7500 ISBN 1-84277-156-6
Women and Plants is a valuable collection of casestudies from areas in Latin America Asia Africa Eu-rope and North America These case studies work to-gether to help us gain a better understanding of theintricate relationship between women plants and theenvironment
The contributors of this book come from many dis-ciplines such as ethnobotany geography agronomyanthropology sociology nutrition and gender studiesThese contributors have done a wonderful job stressingthe importance of including women in ethnobotanicalresearch in resource management planning and in theconservation of biodiversity and certain native plantspecies They have taken on the task of discussing thegender biases evident in most current scientific re-search policy and development practice relating tobiodiversity management and land issues The manyinternational case studies offer superb examples of thevital roles women play throughout the world in theirfamilies their communities and their natural environ-ments
The chapters in this book are neatly organized intofive parts each containing case studies that truly buildon each other Each part presents a theme that is es-sential to the analysis of women and gender relationsin peoplendashplant relationships Part 1mdashCulture Kitchenand Conservation Part 2mdashGender Relations WomenrsquosRights and Plant Management Part 3mdashGenderedPlant Knowledge in Science and Society Part 4mdashPlants Womenrsquos Status and Welfare Part 5mdashGenderBiodiversity Loss and Conservation
The design of the book is visually appealing andorganized I especially like the cover photograph andthe choice of colors for the cover I personally wouldhave appreciated one or two photographs for each ofthe case studies These could have been photographsof the women their daily activities their fields plantcollecting areas important plants etc Photos such asthese sprinkled throughout the text would pull thereader into the lives of these women at a greater anda more personal level Also a map of the study sitefor each of the case studies would have been helpfulin mentally picturing where these studies occurred Ifeel that these two additions would highlight the cul-turally and geographically diverse focus of this book
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and feel as
though my mind has been intellectually and culturallyfed and opened at the same time I now have a muchgreater understanding of and respect for those manyunnoticed and unknown women whose rich knowledgeis an important key to the survival of the environmentand ethnobotanical knowledge This book has definite-ly inspired me to take on a different and more encom-passing approach when conducting ethnobotanical re-search in the future I recommend this book to anyoneinterested in ethnobotany gender relations or the con-servation of biodiversity and of traditional knowledgeand cultures In fact anyone remotely interested in thehealth of this planet and its many inhabitants shouldread this book
SUSANNAH FULTON
UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE
PROVO UT 84606-1856STARFLWRHOTMAILCOM
Tanzanian Mushrooms Edible Harmful and OtherFungi Harkonen Marja Tuomo Neimela and Le-onard Mwasumbi 2003 Botanical Museum POBox 7 FIN-00014 University of Helsinki FinlandHelsinki Finland 200 pp (paperback) 25 curren ISBN952-10-1420-2
The authors of this volume are to be congratulatedfor producing such a comprehensive and beautifully-illustrated discussion of the mushrooms found in main-land Tanzaniarsquos forests and kitchens This volume isan updated and expanded version of Edible Mush-rooms of Tanzania (Harkonen Saarimaki and Mwa-sumbi 1995) which enjoyed only limited publicationand circulation This newer incarnation includes moretaxa as well as chapters on fungal ecology and Tan-zanian vegetation that serve to support the bookrsquos em-phasis on wood-decaying fungi It also describes threenew taxa Russula harkoneniana Buyck Phellinusamanii Niemela and Clavulina wisoli R H PetersenAlthough this book may at first seem like an unlikelyplace to propose new species readers should note thatit is volume 10 of the irregularly published botanicaljournal Norrlinia
This volume offers the reader not only a key to thefungi of Tanzania (and thus much of Eastern Africa)but also provides an excellent general introduction tofungus taxonomy ecology and identification that iswidely applicable across the geographic and educa-tional landscape Mushroom morphology is clearly ex-plained and well illustrated as are the macroscopiccharacters (growth habit cap morphology gill char-
2004] 487BOOK REVIEWS
acters stipe placement and shape veil form and po-sition and flesh qualities) and microscopic characters(spores basidia cystidia and hyphae) most useful formaking determinations Details of how to collectmushrooms and spore prints are provided in a formateasily followed by non-specialists
The taxonomic key is nicely organized and well il-lustrated Each species is accompanied by a photo-graph often showing several specimens from differentangles and aspects The photos lack reference scalesbut dimension ranges for each species are described inthe text The authors use a system of yellow stars torate edibility so that popular edible taxa are clearlydifferentiated from those that are edible only after boil-ing Likewise poisonous mushrooms are rated withskull-and-crossbones signs for rapid distinction be-tween deadly and mildly toxic taxa Local names fortaxa are reported in the key The habitat for each spe-cies is identified but the geographic distribution ismentioned only at the level of the genus perhaps thisis due to the wide geographic potential of many fungusgenera The authors do not include the off-shore Tan-zanian islands of Pemba and Zanzibar (Unguja) soresearchers working there must rely on descriptions oftaxa found in the coastal habitats of the mainland
The ethnomycological component of this book rep-resents a unique and significant contribution to Tan-zanian botany and anthropology including the docu-mentation of oral histories concerning mushroom iden-tification and uses The authors sampled a wide rangeof Tanzanian populations representing over 30 tribalgroups ranging over frac14 of the area of the country Localknowledge about the uses of mushrooms as food andmedicine were recorded as well as potentially harmfulspecies and stories and proverbs (hadithi) involvingmushrooms The authors include a section on indige-nous mushroom cuisine and introduce their own rec-ipes for mushroom dishes that are easily cooked usingtraditional Tanzanian amenities
Tanzanian Mushrooms is potentially useful to awide range of travelers students and researchers Thediscussions of mushroom morphology and ecology areclear and simple enough to aid secondary school teach-ers but are sufficiently detailed to satisfy introductoryuniversity courses on the subject The taxonomic keyis comprehensible to the interested traveler as well asthe trained mycologist The book suffers from someeditorial errors such as misspellings but these are gen-erally minor and do not detract from the informationpresented
I hope that this book is translated into Swahili (orMaa or another local language) to make the infor-mation about mushroom identification and preparationavailable to the people living in rural Tanzania Theauthors themselves note that traditional ecologicalknowledge of fungi is not taught in schools and iseasily lost when families move to a new area (p 41)Beyond its scientific contribution this book has the
potential to reinforce and renew local traditions of my-cological knowledge
LITERATURE CITED
Harkonen M T Saarimaki and L Mwasumbi1995 Edible mushrooms of Tanzania Karstenia 35Suppl1ndash92
SARAH C WALSHAW
DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST LOUIS
ST LOUIS MO 63130-4899
Ancient Wine The Search for the Origins of Vini-culture McGovern Patrick E 2003 PrincetonUniversity Press 41 William Street Princeton NJ08540 xx 1 363 pp (hardcover) US$ 2995 ISBN0-691-07080-6
lsquolsquoThe history of civilization in many ways is thehistory of wine (p 299)rsquorsquo These words appear towardthe bookrsquos end yet they perform a succinct introduc-tion McGovernrsquos great book although not targetedspecifically to botanists presents the archaethnobotanyof our speciesrsquo favorite beverage wonderfully This isa fascinating necessary reading for those interested inviticulturersquos origins and of interest for those focusedon early agriculture and trade Synthesis of diversedata types (performed well here) is difficult yet in-creasingly relevant Although this book isnrsquot authori-tative for grape domestication (instead see McGovernet al 1995) it synthesizes archaeological historicaland ethnobotanical information into a useful interest-ing work a valid endeavor for all important crops(eg Elting and Folsom 1967)
This work being primarily archaeological McGov-ern begins by introducing the evidence for Neolithicwine production leading to prehistoric viticulture andenology (chapters 1ndash4) This portion of the book willinterest ethnobotanists as the evidence confirms earlyhumanndashgrape interactions and includes DNA-basedinformation along with archaeological data not oftenseen in botanical journals A thorough engaging dis-cussion follows of early vinicultural records in ancientEgyptian Levantine Mesopotamian and other OldWorld cultures (chapters 5ndash11) This portion is enjoy-able as McGovern interjects field experiences collab-orations and labwork with the reconstruction of earlyviniculture Indeed the beverage seems to have flowedliberally during the bookrsquos research and compositionMcGovernrsquos appreciation for fruitful collaborationleaps off almost every page as does appreciation forgood wine which seems to have greatly enhanced theformer No potential data source appears untouchedhe includes excavated amphorae hieroglyphics andeven Old Testament passages Winersquos indisputableprominence in history is well-documented no ancient
488 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
culture from McGovernrsquos study area seems to havebeen without the beverage Even more recent culturesof the Levant that prohibit alcohol acknowledge itscompelling appeal to human palates
The book concludes with potential advances in mo-lecular archaeology (chapter 12) that may further il-luminate the winersquos origins This chapter avoids dis-cussing phylogenetic data perhaps owing to the lackof published phylogenies for the Vitaceae (Gerrath etal 2001) A preview of studies in early Chinese viti-culture is discussed and this will be of interest is FarEastern viticulture indigenous
I lack archaeological training therefore Irsquom un-qualified to evaluate that aspect of the work In dis-cussing minor errata below I must clarify that the vol-ume is vinicultural not botanical A reviewing botanistwould serve the bookrsquos interests however The familyVitaceae is misspelled (Vitiaceae [sic] page 7 see alsoHarriman 1999) The book states that variation in wildgrapesrsquo palatability (compared to cultivars) resultsfrom lsquolsquogenetic polymorphism of the plant (page 12)rsquorsquodue to dioecy Genetic polymorphism in populationsor species could produce fruit variation but a poly-morphism is unlikely to produce fruit variation withinone plant More likely palatability in cultivated grapes(compared to wild) is due to artificial selection andclonality (Janick nd) Additionally domesticatedgrapes vary in palatability (Winkler et al 1962) Im-mediately below tremendous fruit diversity in clonalcultivars is noted contradicting the earlier sentimentregarding genetic polymorphism Also stated lsquolsquothegrapevine growing tip consists of a core and anouter epidermal layer comprising different genetic sys-tems (p 13)rsquorsquo These develop from different initialsbut are mitotic genetically identical portions of oneplant In discussing grape seeds McGovern states thatpips are more genetically variable than wood becauseseeds are biparentally derived Although this is tech-nically true one way (pips contain various ploidy-leveltissues) wood varies as much as (sporophytic) embry-os inside seeds ie wood is also derived from twogametes
The eponymous search documented herein is diffi-cult and the book summarizes a tremendous amountof historical cultural archaeological enological andethnobotanical information That McGovern succeededin making such an ambitious project enjoyable to readis to his great credit This book is relevant to thoseinterested in archaethnobotany and will be interestingto many others
LITERATURE CITED
Elting M and M Folsom 1967 The mysteriousgrain Science in search of the origin of corn MEvans New York
Gerrath J M U Posluszny and N G Dengler2001 Primary vascular patterns in the Vitaceae In-
ternational Journal of Plant Sciences 162 (4)729ndash745
Harriman N E 1999 Anti-fertility plants of the Pa-cific (Book Review) Economic Botany 53228ndash229
Janick J nd Origins of fruits and fruit growing Hor-ticultural Reviews 31
McGovern P E S J Fleming and S H Katzeds 1995 The origins and ancient history of wineGordon and Breach Publishers Philadelphia
Winkler A J J A Cook W M Kliewer and LA Lider 1962 General viticulture University ofCalifornia Press Berkeley California
M PATRICK GRIFFITH
RANCHO SANTA ANA BOTANIC GARDEN
CLAREMONT CA 91711MICHAELPATRICKGRIFFITHCGUEDU
Bacillus thuringiensis A Cornerstone of ModernAgriculture Metz Matthew ed 2004 Food Prod-ucts PressHaworth Press Inc 10 Alice StreetBinghamton NY 13904-1580 xxii 1 242 pp (pa-perback) US$ 5995 ISBN 1-56022-109-7
This book is excellent for presenting to its readersa theme of the positive results in articles about the useand impact of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in pest con-trol systems This theme of positive results is presentedin examples of effective and non-effective lsquolsquoresistant-managementrsquorsquo systems it suggests Bt (in pest control)is a candidate to be an important biological agent withproperties of a chemical pesticide (insecticide) Thebook suggests that Bt is environmentally friendly andcost-effective for controlling insects in tropical Asiaand South America suggesting more successful foodproduction from its use for as long as it is effectiveFor example the Diamond Back Moth in Hawaii hasdeveloped resistance to Bt
This information comes to us at a time when weneed to know what to answer to questions about theuse of the Bacillus organism on crops and geneticallymodified into crops Bt is already introduced into ourenvironment and into our food production system
In the preface the editor has written to us that theprimary beneficiaries are lsquolsquostudents scientists and pro-fessionals dealing with pest control environmentalprotection and regulation of transgenetic cropsrsquorsquo Thesecondary beneficiaries are the people in society Weget increased understanding of the risk vs benefits ofthe lsquolsquoinevitable introduction into Integrated Pest Man-agement (IPM) programs in all parts of the worldrsquorsquo
The editor suggested that readers may start with anyof the twelve chapters If we read them all we will beinformed about Risk vs Benefits Development Strat-egies Potential World Food Production and IssuesFacing Scientists Legislators and Consumers I acted
2004] 489BOOK REVIEWS
on his suggestion and starting reading chapters withanswers to my questions How does it work (Insec-ticidal Crystal ProteinsmdashICPs) Is it safe for humans(Yes) Is there evidence of pest resistance (Yes)
The first few chapters answered my questions I readthat Bt has proven to be one of the safest products forpest control in terms of impact on human health1 Btis safe for humans because of the specificity of thekilling agent (ICP) It kills specifically LepidopteraColeoptera Diptera
In the next few articles we can read about crop-specific case studies featuring international cotton pro-duction Case studies about rice potatoes and sugar-cane are interesting and informative There is a seriousdiscussion about the criteria for successful lsquolsquoresistancemanagementrsquorsquo and the importance of preserving theeffectiveness of Bt using these criteria And for thoseof us who would miss them if they were not repre-sented there are articles presenting the result of lab-oratory research For example we may read about theimportance of developing a lsquolsquomore rapid method forevaluation of gene constructsrsquorsquo and about a SyntheticCrystal Protein which may kill insects currently resis-tant to Bt
If you have ever questioned where are the researchresults about the use of Bt-based insecticides and trans-genic crops in our food production system or talkedabout its use with your colleagues you must read thesetwelve articles You will need the comprehensive an-swers provided for the questions about the use of Ba-cillus thuringiensis its potential in world food produc-tion its risks benefits development and resistances-management strategies
HENRY GARCIA-ALVAREZ
INTERNATIONAL AGRI-FORESTRY
DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT
BRYTE CALIFORNIA 95605HHHERBALDCNORG
Pueraria The Genus Pueraria Keung Wing Minged 2002 Medicinal and Aromatic PlantsmdashIndus-trial Profiles Vol 23 Hardman Roland ed Tayloramp Francis 11 New Fetter Lane London EC4P4EE UK xviii 1 290 pp (hardcover) US$ 10995ISBN 0-415-28492-9
1 EDITORrsquoS NOTE But not for non-humans thereis no target specificity All Lepidoptera Coleopteraand Diptera are targets whether lsquolsquofriendlyrsquorsquo or lsquolsquoun-friendlyrsquorsquo In other words all butterflies (includingmonarchs) lady beetles and other native insects arealso targeted Among other recent commentaries onthis topic see Nabhan Gary P 2001 Coming Hometo Eat The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods288 pp W W Norton amp Company ISBN0393020177
The wide recognition of the common names Kudzu(United States) Ge-gen (China) and Kuzu (Japan) bythe average person in these countries reflects the im-portance of the genus Pueraria in both the West andthe East This bookrsquos seventeen chapters although nota comprehensive review for all botanical traditionaluse and other potential topics does contain a verybroad number of scholarly works on the genus Puer-aria Although many topics are covered the main per-spective is from the viewpoint of a pharmacognocistor natural products chemist evaluating the chemistrypharmacological safety and potential as a drug or sci-ence based therapeutic agent In the first chapter L JG van der Maesen summarizes his most recent taxo-nomic revision of the genus Pueraria where he rec-ognizes 15 species It is unclear why many researchershave been slow to incorporate the latest taxonomic andnomenclatural changes by Maesen including contrib-utors to many chapters of this book
Pueraria has been used on a large scale for erosioncontrol fiber starch and as an ingredient in diversityof Traditional Chinese and Kampo medicines Kath-leen Lowneyrsquos final chapter in the book lsquolsquoFriend orFoe Changing cultural definitions of Kudzursquorsquo gives agood analysis of how Kudzu in the 20th century hasgone through an enthusiastic period a disenchantmentperiod and now is in a period of tempered enthusiasmIt would be accurate to summarize the current state ofthe science of the potential health benefits of Kudzu(P montana var lobata or P lobata) and related spe-cies like P mirifica and P tuberosa reviewed in thisvolume as lsquolsquotempered enthusiasmrsquorsquo since most of theevidence is based on chemistry pre-clinical and verysmall clinical trials for specific indications The bookhas brought together in one small volume a summaryof much of the chemistry and pharmacology of Kudzuand related species including the potential benefitsconcerning alcohol abuse hepatoprotection cardiovas-cular function and for estrogen related disorders suchas the possible chemo-preventive effects for estrogenrelated cancers and osteoporosis as well as P tuber-sosa contraceptive efficacy and toxicity
The book also includes some of the diversity of usesin Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese patentmedicines as well as information related to the qualityof TCM and patent medicines In addition the volumeincludes chapters on ethnobotany and economic usesincluding food and fiber products However the eth-nobotany economic botany ecology and plant tax-onomy of Pueraria are covered only briefly in com-parison to the current literature and should be seen asbackground for the main theme of the chemistry andpharmacology of the genus For example botanistswishing to learn whether the fast growing Kudzu isdestroying the plant diversity of the American southwill not find the answer in this book
The treatment of Pueraria chemistry is not compre-hensive but covers the isoflavonoids (the chemical
490 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
class that are the source of most of the reported bio-logical activity) in the most depth This book includeschapters on Pueraria isoflavonoid biosynthesis mam-malian metabolism and specific pharmacological ac-tivities The index is helpful for locating chemicalcompounds and biological activity but ethnobotanistsand economic botanists trying to locate information ontraditional and economic uses will find the index ofalmost no value This volume contains many excellentchapters that will be of most value for university li-braries and natural products researchers interested inthe potential of Pueraria as a science based therapeuticagent
EDWARD M CROOM JRUNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
OXFORD MS 38655EDWARDCROOMINFO
Magnolia The Genus Magnolia Sarker Satyajit Dand Yuji Maruyama eds 2002 Medicinal and Ar-omatic PlantsmdashIndustrial Profiles Vol 28 Hard-man Roland ed Taylor amp Francis 11 New FetterLane London EC4P 4EE UK xii 1 187 pp(hardcover) US$ 12995 ISBN 0-415-28494-5
For many botanists in the West the chemistry andbiological activity of the genus Magnolia remains to-tally unknown even though it was used by NativeAmericans and others in the Southeastern UnitedStates However in Traditional Chinese Medicine andTCMrsquos close Japanese cousin Kampo medicine Mag-nolia is well known as an ingredient in formulas totreat many illnesses The beauty of this book residesin the clarity and logical organization that make learn-ing about the traditional uses phytochemistry biolog-ical activity and pharmacology as well as quality con-trol and native distribution and cultivation of Magnoliaspecies a pleasant educational adventure The verythorough index is also so well organized that one canfind selected topics concerning individual species orspecific biological activities in an instant
This book is so good a compilation of the currentknowledge concerning the health related informationon the genus Magnolia that it is simply elegant I rec-ommend this book for anyone who is interested inMagnolia as a therapeutic agent Both the editors andthe authors are to be commended for their intelligentand thoughtful contribution to the scientific literatureThis volume could serve as a model for any of us onhow to edit and write a concise reference work
EDWARD M CROOM JRUNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
OXFORD MS 38655EDWARDCROOMINFO
Flora of China Vol 6 Caryophyllaceae throughLardizabalaceae Wu Zheng-yi Peter H Ravenet al eds 2002 Science Press 16 Donghuang-chenggen North Street Beijing 100717 China andMissouri Botanical Garden Press 4344 ShawBlvd St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 512 pp(hardcover) US$ 10000 ISBN 0-915279-05-9
The Flora of China (FOC) series is an up-to-dateEnglish-language revision of the Flora Republicae Po-pularis Sinicae (FRPS) Once completed the approx-imately 30 000 species of native naturalized and ex-otic economically important vascular plants found inChina will be described in 24 volumes (including a25th supplementary volume containing a cumulativeindex for all the volumes) This revision continues asan important endeavor because the rich flora of Chinahas contributed many economically important speciesincluding those used for food medicine and ornamen-tal purposes
FOC organizes the sequence of families by a mod-ified Englerian system Dichotomous keys throughspecies level and in some cases infraspecies followfamily descriptions Care has been taken to list syno-nyms only after they are checked to be correctly iden-tified and used in other major East Asian floras andwith the author names and bibliographical citation forbasionyms and author names only for synonyms
All the FOC volumes conveniently include four in-dexes 1) Chinese character names sorted by brushstrokes 2) transliteration of Chinese names sorted byHanyu Pinyin 3) scientific names and 4) an index tofamilies in the FOC and FRPS volumes A large mapof China delimiting its provinces and adjacent coun-tries is provided as endpapers
A note regarding the value of having the pinyin in-dex In my research with Vietnamese food plantsmany species introduced by the Chinese not only toVietnam but also to other areas of the United Statesthat is home to large Chinese and Vietnamese popu-lations are known locally by the pinyin name as wellas the Vietnamese name Therefore knowledge of bothcan facilitate identification to the Latin binomial
My original complaint with the flora was the priceof each volume I have since learned it is possible tobuy volume pairs (Text and Illustrations) at a reducedrate of $15000pair That is still expensive but an in-telligent investment for a handsome and valuable in-clusion to the library of any student of the plants ofChina and Asia as well as others interested in florist-ics systematics plant distributions and economic bot-any
FOC Vol 6 treats the Caryophyllaceae (30 genera390 species) Nelumbonaceae (1 species) Nympha-ceae (3 genera 8 species) Cabombaceae (2 genera 2species) Ceratophyllaceae (1 genera 3 species) Eup-teleaceae (1 species) Trochodendraceae (1 species)Tetracentraceae (1 species) Cercidiphyllaceae (1 spe-
2004] 491BOOK REVIEWS
cies) Paeoniaceae (1 genus 15 species) Ranuncula-ceae (38 genera 921 species) Circaeasteraceae (1 spe-cies) and Lardizabalaceae (7 genera 37 species) ofthe 1382 taxa included 60 represented by 8 generaand 832 species are endemic to China
FOC Vol 6 includes nomenclatural novelties in thegenera Anemone Arenaria Clematis and Delphinium
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 6 Caryophylla-ceae through Lardizabalaceae Wu Zheng-yi Pe-ter H Raven et al eds 2003 Science Press 16Donghuangchenggen North Street Beijing 100717China and Missouri Botanical Garden Press POBox 299 St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 446 pp(hardcover) US$ 11500 ISBN 1-930723-25-3
The publication of separate texts and illustrationsvolumes has facilitated the production of richly de-tailed beautiful books These books will be a treasureto those that appreciate beautiful yet accurately de-tailed botanical illustrations The arrangement of illus-trations follows the sequence of taxa represented in thecorresponding text volumes Each taxon is presentedwith its identifying morphological features (flowersfruits leaves etc) However the primary downfall isthe absence of measurements or scales Instead mea-surements for each of the particular parts (flowersfruits leaves etc) are only provided in the taxon de-scriptions in the corresponding text volumes The nu-merous plant parts drawn to different scales on a singlepage further complicate this Therefore though the il-lustrations are excellent without the accompanyingtext their purchase is an aesthetic luxury
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 6 accompanies theFOC Vol 6 published in 2001 The illustrations vol-ume includes 420 figures covering 858 species (thekeys text treats 1382 species) represented in the Car-yophyllaceae (229 species) Nelumbonaceae (1 spe-cies) Nymphaceae (3 species) Cabombaceae (1 spe-cies) Ceratophyllaceae (3 species) Eupteleaceae (1species) Trochodendraceae (1 species) Cercidiphyl-laceae (1 species) Paeoniaceae (12 species) Ranun-culaceae (539 species) Circaeasteraceae (1 species)and Lardizabalaceae (14 species) Tetracentraceaetreated in the text FOC is not illustrated
Flora of China Vol 9 Pittosporaceae through Con-naraceae Wu Zheng-yi Peter H Raven et al eds2003 Science Press 16 DonghuangchenggenNorth Street Beijing 100717 China and MissouriBotanical Garden Press PO Box 299 St LouisMO 63166-0299 xii 1 496 pp (hardcover) US$10000 ISBN 1-930723-14-8
Flora of China (FOC) Vol 9 treats the families Pit-tosporaceae (1 genus 46 species) Hamamelidaceae(18 genera 74 species) Eucommiaceae (1 species)Platanaceae (1 genus 3 species) Rosaceae (55 genera950 species) and Connaraceae (6 genera 9 species)of which 59 are endemic to China
FOC Vol 9 includes nomenclatural novelties in thegenera Cerasus Cotoneaster Crataegus Malus Pa-dus Rosa and Rubus
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 24 Flagellari-aceae through Marantaceae Wu Zheng-yi PeterH Raven et al eds 2002 Science Press 16Donghuangchenggen North Street Beijing 100717China and Missouri Botanical Garden Press POBox 299 St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 449 pp(hardcover) US$ 11500 ISBN 0-930723-00-8
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 24 accompaniesthe FOC Vol 24 published in 2000 which treated1335 species The Vol 24 Illustrations includes 423figures representing 782 species in the Flagellariaceae(1 species) Restionaceae (1 species) Centrolepidaceae(1 species) Xyridaceae (4 species) Eriocaulaceae (19species) Bromeliaceae (3 species) Commelinaceae(34 species) Pontederiaceae (4 species) Philydraceae(1 species) Juncaceae (65 species) Stemonaceae (3species) Liliaceae (430 species) Amaryllidaceae (16species) Taccaceae (6 species) Dioscoreaceae (41 spe-cies) Iridaceae (53 species) Musaceae (6 species)Lowiaceae (1 species) Costaceae (3 species) Zingi-beraceae (53 species) Cannaceae (3 species) and Mar-antaceae (6 species)
MY LIEN T NGUYEN
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIlsquoI AT MANOA
HONOLULU HI 96822MYLIENHAWAIIEDU
Flora of North America North of Mexico Volume4 Caryophyllidae in part Caryophyllales Part1 (pink order) Editorial Committee 2003 OxfordUniversity Press 198 Madison Avenue New YorkNY 10016 xxiv 1 559 pp (hardcover) $12000ISBN 0-19-517389-9
Since publication of the first two in 1993 each newvolume in the Flora of North America North of Mexicoseries has been eagerly anticipated and fondly receivedby botanists working on the continent Volume 4 Mag-noliophyta Caryophyllidae part 1 is the latest in theseries to be published and is destined like those beforeit to be appreciated by botanists for its authoritative-ness and utility Although this volume is the eighth toappear in the series it is only the second (out of a
492 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
projected nineteen) published that deals with dicoty-ledonous families the others to date have focused onfern gymnosperm and monocot taxa It is the first oftwo to deal with the Caryophyllidae and covers tenfamilies included within the order CaryophyllalesPhytolaccaceae Achatocarpaceae Nyctaginaceae Ai-zoaceae Cactaceae Chenopodiaceae AmaranthaceaePortulacaceae Basellaceae and Molluginaceae Cov-erage of these families totals 124 genera and 892 spe-cies
The largest portion of Volume 4 is devoted to theCactaceae accordingly it is a must for those workingin arid parts of North America where member taxapredominate However families such as the Cheno-podiaceae Amaranthaceae and Portulacaceae alsoconstitute a significant portion of the publication andthe widespread distribution of these families acrossNorth America makes the volume invaluable else-where Moreover in keeping with the precedent set byother volumes in the series short but highly informa-tive accounts of each family precede taxonomic treat-ments This arrangement ensures that although partic-ular keys might not prove immediately useful for bot-anists each volume is nevertheless indispensable forthe authoritative summaries provided
For the economic botanist there are many genera ofinterest included From the Cactaceae for examplethere are Carnegiea (saguaro) Lophophora (peyote)Nopalea (nopal) and Opuntia (pricklypear) The Por-tulacaceae includes treatments of Claytonia (spring-beauty) Lewisia Montia and Portulaca (purslane)From the Phytolaccaceae is the genus Phytolacca(pokeweed) And then there are Celosia (cockscomb)and Amaranthus (pigweed amaranth) from the Amar-anthaceae When one finally includes a few of themany species from the Chenopodiaceae that are of eco-nomic importancemdasheg Atriplex (orach saltbush)Beta (beet chard) Chenopodium (goosefoot lambrsquos-quarters quinoa) Kochia Salsola (Russian thistletumbleweed) Sarcobatus (greasewood) Spinacia(spinach) Suaeda (sea-blite)mdashVolume 4 appears as atruly essential reference for botanists and plantsmenworking in North America
As I stated in an earlier review (see Economic Bot-any 54(4)655) I feel a principal fault with the seriesif there is to be one is that there are far too few illus-trations accompanying the text Given the exceptionalquality of those illustrations that are included thisproves to be a persistently disappointing feature in anotherwise flawless series While the botanical descrip-tions included in each volume are certainly clear andconcise the old adage that lsquolsquoa picture speaks a thou-sand wordsrsquorsquo is indeed appropriate here This saidthere are few criticisms to make with regard to thecontent of each volume and this one is no exceptionIt is with eager anticipation then that botanists likemyself will undoubtedly be awaiting the next in theseries to appear
ERIC P BURKHART
SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
EPB6PSUEDU
De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes CD-ROM Fuchs Leonard 1542 Octavo Edition 134Linden Street Oakland CA 94607-2538 US$3000 ISBN 1-59110-051-8
Botanists of all persuasions should allow themselvesthe pleasure of thumbing through Fuchsrsquo herbal Thisherbal is a beautiful scholarly and scientific piece ofbotanical and medical history Fuchs wrote at the timewhen economic botany was an essential component ofmedicine and gardeners raised remedies He used thisbook to take lsquolsquoherbalsrsquorsquo out of the dark ages and intothe Renaissance synthesizing classical texts medievalherbals and new ideas of naturalism and science Thequality of Fuchsrsquo herbal is cited as one of the majorreasons herbal remedies remained a part of mainstreamGerman medicine in the last 500 years and it is thescholarly forerunner of todayrsquos respected CommissionE reports
Karen Reedsrsquo introductory lsquolsquoCommentaryrsquorsquo gives agreat history of Fuchs the herbal and its historicalcontext Reeds tells of the obstacles Fuchs faced in hisquest to create a new type of herbal the Vienna Codex[a much expanded and corrected version of the herbalin three huge volumes] and how Fuchsrsquo first book re-vealed the dangerous mistakes medieval physiciansand apothecaries were making because of transcriptionmistakes in botanical identifications
Functionally the CD-ROM version offers severaltools and options that make this more than just an in-expensive substitute for the lsquolsquoreal bookrsquorsquo At 1frasl10 thecost of the hardback print version it contains highquality images of the entire book in a large Acrobatpdf file The images of the open book are excellentand so realistically detailed that you can actually seefaint crinkles in the paper and the shadows of text fromthe reverse side of the pages
I do have two complaints with the electronic formatFirst there is a confusing array of lsquolsquopagesrsquorsquo and a falsecursor or mouse move can cause you to lsquolsquojumprsquorsquo to dif-ferent sections unintentionally Itrsquos hard to find actualpage numbers from the original text even though theyare used in the index because you must use [different]Adobe Reader lsquolsquoViewrsquorsquo and lsquolsquoPagersquorsquo numbers Secondlyyou must take time to learn how to navigate the text inAdobe Reader Octavorsquos Visual Guide is clear and com-plete but you have to find it It takes time and practiceto learn the commands so you might want to just printout the instructions until you are comfortable with theformat I do recommend that you take the time how-ever since there are many useful and convenient fea-
2004] 493BOOK REVIEWS
tures For instance you can search the text zoom in ona variety of images or text or use the lsquolsquoPagesrsquorsquo tool tobrowse through all of the pages as thumbnail-sized im-ages The lsquolsquoBookmarksrsquorsquo tool reveals a navigable tableof contents which expand contract or highlight partic-ular entries for your own reference
All in all this edition is a great find that you willappreciate more as you use it and become familiar withthe format As a classic landmark masterpiece in bo-tanical history either the CD or the hardcover versionshould be included in your personal or university li-brary
KAROL CHANDLER-EZELL
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63108KAROLEPIWUSTLEDU
Bacterial Disease Resistance in Plants MolecularBiology and Biotechnological Applications Vid-hyasekaran P 2002 The Haworth Press Inc 10Alice Street Binghamton NY 13904 xiv 1 452pp (paperback) US$ 5995 ISBN 1-56022-925-X
Current through the late 1990s this text by a notedauthority in the field does a remarkable job of cov-ering the complex area of plant resistance to bacterialdisease The book is logically organized into 6 majorchapters Molecular Recognition Processes BetweenPlant and Bacterial Pathogens Host Defense Mecha-nisms The Cell WallmdashThe First Barrier and a Sourceof Defense Signal Molecules Active Oxygen SpeciesInducible Plant Proteins Inducible Secondary Metab-olites and the final chapter is Biological ApplicationsMolecular Manipulation of Bacterial Disease Resis-tance References (over 1700) are contained in a blend-ed comprehensive list at the end of the text by authorThis reviewer noted very few errors in text tables orcharts No chemical structures are in the text other thaninitialed protein sequences
The text represents a thorough summary of the ma-jor findings in the six basic areas of plantsrsquo responsesto bacterial invasion Though a few years out of datethe findings are clearly presented in mostly chronolog-ical fashion and serve as an excellent review of thedevelopment of the entire field The author furthermoreinterjects insightful comments from his long career inthe area These often are calls for additional researchinto poorly understood processes such as tylose accu-mulation and early research on hsr and str gene-en-coded proteins The general area of active oxygen spe-cies lacks a discussion of NO Other shortcomings ofthe test are its lack of sufficient coverage of induciblesecondary metabolites (the term alkaloid is not evenin the index) the roles of Ca11 and calmodulin andthe abbreviated treatment given the jasmonatemeth-yljasmonate induction process
This text can be recommended for the researcherwho is seeking an overview of the entire process Itcan also serve as a very readable introduction to thegraduate student just becoming familiar with the areaIt can be recommended for inclusion in the libraries ofdepartments of plant pathology botanyplant physiol-ogy and plant molecular biology
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Breeding Research on Aromatic and MedicinalPlants Johnson Christopher B and ChlodwigFranz eds 2002 Haworth Herbal Press 10 AliceStreet Binghamton NY 13904-1580 xx 1 435 pp(paperback) US$ 4995 ISBN 0-7890-1973-6
This book was co-published simultaneously as theJournal of Herbs Spices and Medicinal Plants 9 (23 and 4) in 2002 and represents papers presented atthe second international conference on lsquolsquoBreeding Re-search on Medicinal and Aromatic Plantsrsquorsquo held inCrete in July of 2000 It is divided into four majorsections Conventional Breeding Biochemistry Bio-technology Molecular Genetics and Physiology Bio-diversity and Conservation of Medicinal and AromaticPlantsrsquo Resources and Economic Ethical and LegalAspects There is a combined topicauthor index thatlacks a comprehensive inclusion of phytochemicalsThe text contains very few errors and has extensivespecific data inserted in numerous maps graphs andtables The editors have done a fine job of organizinga wide array of topics by numerous authors into par-allel text Chapters contain a summary and key wordsintroduction detailed materials and methods (whereapplicable) results and conclusions Each chapter hasits own references listed which this reviewer prefersover a single composite listing at the end of the text
The plants discussed center heavily on Mediterra-nean species and the regionrsquos cultivars phytopatholog-ical considerations and climatehabitats which maylimit the textrsquos utility to North American conditionsthough on occasion North American cultivars are in-cluded as in Buter and Buterrsquos chapter on Hypericumperforatum L and Keskitalorsquos on Tanacetum vulgareL in Finland
Other interesting chapters that digress from the titleinclude Goeschlrsquos lsquolsquoStakes in the evolutionary raceThe economic value of plants for medicinal applica-tionsrsquorsquo Llewelynrsquos lsquolsquoEuropean Plant Intellectual Prop-ertyrsquorsquo and Padusi et al lsquolsquoChallenges and opportunitiesin enhancing the conservation and use of medicinaland aromatic plantsrsquorsquo
This book can be recommended first and foremost
494 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
to those researchers involved with medicinal plantbreeding in the Mediterranean region It may serve asan additional valuable reference in the libraries of oth-ers interested in solving the present dayrsquos dilemmas ofsupply and standardization of medicinal and aromaticplantsrsquo products especially in light of questions ofconservation and the preservation of genetic diversity
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Gathering Moss A Natural and Cultural History ofMosses Kimmerer Robin Wall 2003 OregonState University Press Corvallis viii 1 168 pp(paperback) US$ 1795 ISBN 0-87071-499-6
Letrsquos face it mosses are not generally considered tobe glamorous plants Introductory biology textbookspresent mosses as examples of (1) the most primitiveof plants transitional between algae and ferns and oth-er pteridophytes and (2) the principle of lsquolsquoalternationof generationsrsquorsquo Once you have read Gathering Mossyour image of this neglected group will be consider-ably broadened
This slim volume consists of a series of 20 briefessays Robin Kimmerer a botanist and the author ofnumerous publications on mosses in The Bryologistand other scientific journals also happens to be of Pot-awatomi heritage She is thus able to combine her sci-entific training and botanical knowledge with the in-digenous lsquolsquoways of knowingrsquorsquo including emotion andspirit as well as mind and body
Most essays begin with a folksy account of someevent in the authorrsquos personal life such as a foray intothe woods with her daughters in the Adirondacks oran interchange between herself and a neighbor In eachcase there is seamlessly woven into her account someaspect of mosses their diversity ecology or physiol-ogy One essay lsquolsquoThe Web of Reciprocity IndigenousUses of Mossrsquorsquo surveys some of the every-day waysthat Native peoples have used mosses
Although not intended as a field guide many ex-cellent pen-and-ink drawings illustrating various spe-cies of mosses are scattered throughout The bibliog-raphy includes references on economic aspects ofmosses as well as those on moss identification
After you read this book I predict that you willnever again think of mosses as insignificant or super-fluous It is hoped that this book Professor Kimmererrsquosfirst will not be her last
THOMAS E HEMMERLY
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
MURFREESBORO TN 37132THEMMERLMTSUEDU
A Global Compendium of Weeds Randall R P2002 R G amp F J Richardson PO Box 42 Mer-edith Victoria 3333 Australia distributed by Mis-souri Botanical Garden Press PO Box 299 StLouis MO 63166 wwwmbgpresscom xxxii 1905 pp (hardcover) US$ 99 1 shipping amp han-dling ISBN 0-9587439-8-3
The source material of this lsquolsquoencyclopediarsquorsquo is everybook pamphlet journal article personal communica-tion and website the author could find There are near-ly 300 of these listed in Table 1 pages viiindashxxvii Theyare arbitrarily numbered 1ndash300 in no discernible pat-tern with a half dozen lsquolsquovacantrsquorsquo These are highlyvariable in their quality obviously We have for ex-ample Royer and Dickinson 1999 lsquolsquoWeeds of Canadaand the Northern United Statesrsquorsquo a scholarly workNumber 299 on the list but also Number 281 on thelist lsquolsquoPrincipales Malezas de Centro America y El Ca-ribe Controladas con Rounduprsquorsquo So far as I know thisherbicide kills every plant it touches so this referenceis surely not a critical source of information But forgood or ill there it is make of it what you will
Randall is quite aware that websites (abundantly cit-ed) come and go and he warns the reader accordinglyIt is characteristic of the approach this book takes thathe also tells the reader how to do a Google search
Therersquos a striking picture on the cover It looks likesome kind of lsquolsquocreature from the Black Lagoonrsquorsquo It isin fact Lavandula stoechas (Lamiaceae) and it is re-peated on the title page There are two other illustra-tions Phalaris aquatica (Poaceae) on xxxi and Pa-paver somniferum on p 761 These images are iden-tified on the back of the title page but not particular-ized as to page number
The body of the text is an alphabetical listing byscientific names with abundant synonymy and crossreferences with associated family name and some-times more than one family name when the expertsdonrsquot agree An unusual and most helpful feature is thecitation of common names in what appear to be dozensof languages rendered into Roman script For exam-ple under Alopecurus aequalis (Poaceae) we havelsquoshort-awned foxtailrsquo lsquoorange foxtail lsquomarsh foxtailrsquoand lsquorantapuntarpaarsquo I have no idea what languagethat last one is transcribed from and thatrsquos preciselywhat will make this book so useful to botanists of allstripes here at last is a source to look up obscure com-mon names Most helpfully all names are included inan exhaustive alphabetical index pp 763ndash905
As is typical of books on weeds this one offers nodefinition of the term If somebody somewhere forsome reason called it a lsquolsquoweedrsquorsquo then itrsquos here As aresult specialists will wonder at the inclusion of somenames but I doubt he has made any significant exclu-sions He claims there are 20 672 entries of scientific
2004] 495BOOK REVIEWS
names and 27 108 common names and I believe himHis sources of information for each entry are given bythe arbitrary numbering system mentioned above
The previous lsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo on weeds wasHolm et al lsquolsquoA Geographical Atlas of World Weedsrsquorsquo1979 with a reprint edition in 1991 it listed 6400species Randallrsquos book bids fair to become the newlsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
Wheat Ecology and Physiology of Yield Determi-nation Satorre Emilio H and Gustavo A Slafereds 1999 Food Products Press an imprint of TheHaworth Press Inc 10 Alice Street BinghamtonNY 13904 xx 1 503 pp (paperback) US$ 125(hardcover) US$ 5995 (paperback) ISBN1-56022-874-1 (hardcover) ISBN 1-56022-875-X(paperback printing 2000)
The editors have marshaled experts from around theworld to write 19 chapters on improving wheat yieldsThese are organized into four parts Wheat PhysiologyWheat Ecology Wheat Production Systems andBreeding to Further Raise Wheat Yields The result isa kind of updated textbook on agronomy of cultivatedwheat There is nothing on the evolution of the speciesunder the hand of mankindmdashthatrsquos not the intent
There is an enormous investigational base for awork of this kind because wheat is the most widelygrown crop in the world approximately one-sixth ofthe worldrsquos total arable land is cultivated with wheatAs evidence of how vast the literature is one needonly look at the references cited at the end of eachchaptermdashI was struck by the fact that all cited papersand books are in English with no hint of anything inFrench German Russian or Spanish
The editors included their own introductory chapterwherein they point out that there are over 300 000plant species but only 24 of these are used as cropsto satisfy most human requirements for food and fiberFor the first 50 years of the twentieth century yieldsincreased dramatically because more and more landwas brought into production but yields per hectarewere essentially flat Dramatic increases in yield perhectare came about with large increases in researchbut for the last decade or so yields have leveled offeven as human populations have continued to growdramatically The contributing authors have all pointedout where more information is needed and the bookis probably already being used to shape future researchprograms
This is not a symposium volume and the editors areto be congratulated for having taken the time to com-
pile an extensive author index as well as a thoroughsubject index As a result one can find (for example)where antibiosis and antixenosis are covered in thebook not to mention lsquolsquochromosome engineeringrsquorsquo andlsquolsquoslugsrsquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
North American Wildland Plants A Field GuideStubbendieck James Stephan L Hatch and L MLandholt 2003 University of Nebraska Press 233North 8th Street Lincoln Nebraska xiv 1 501 pp(paperback) US$ 3000 ISBN 0-8032-9306-2
This new volume the sixth edition of North Amer-ican Range Plants (Stubbendieck 1986) is a welcomeaddition to the bookshelf of any rangeland ecologist ornatural resource specialist Focusing primarily onplants of the Great Plains the book describes about200 common rangeland plants The taxonomic layoutis organized into four classifications grasses (whichmake up about half the taxa) grass-like plants forbsand woody plants Distribution maps vernacular andscientific names habit descriptions and detailed leaffloral and fruit characteristics are included in the neat-ly arranged text Additional plant information includ-ing historic uses value as forage for livestock andgeneral habitat greatly increase the bookrsquos potentialappeal
Beautifully drawn illustrations with details and ex-planations of particularly significant morphologicalstructures are presented alongside the species descrip-tions for easy cross-reference in the field Illustratedglossaries near the front of the book provide a conciseand comprehensive background for those less familiarwith technical terminology The book also contains atext-only glossary and an authorities section that de-tails the authorrsquos citations
All in all it is a thorough painstakingly researchedbook of proven valuemdashhence the many editions Thatraises the question lsquolsquoWhy change the title after allthese yearsrsquorsquo
LITERATURE CITED
Stubbendieck J S L Hatch and K J Hirsch1986 North American range plants 5th ed Uni-versity of Nebraska Press Lincoln NE
GREGORY GUST
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
PO BOX 299ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63166-0299
496 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
PhytoChem Australia A Database on AustralianPlant Chemistry 1940ndash2000 [CD-ROM] CollinsD J and C C J Culvenor 2003 CSIRO Pub-lishing PO Box 1139 URL wwwpublishcsiroau Collingwood Vic 3066 Australia AU$29500 ISBN 0643066322
As scientists we use databases on a daily basis tosort data and locate references We also occasionallyconstruct our own databases to help solve researchproblems Large cross-referenced books indices andcyclopedias were the original databases but PCs andnew software have made the database more availableand more useful the Internet has also made many ofthese databases accessible on-line
In natural products chemistry the study of theknown chemical composition of a plant begins withdatabase reference searches There are some searchabledatabases like NAPRALERT that are incredibly com-prehensive and constantly updatedmdashbut expensive fora well-researched plant Chemical Abstracts BiosisMedline and the various academic journal databasesall index differently and to get a comprehensiveknowledge of the previous phytochemical work on agiven plant several searches in many databases are re-quired None of these databases are perfect There alsoremain many professional journals not indexed bythese databases which tend to have an American orEuropean slant The PhytoChem Australia CD-ROMhas been released to fill this void as a useful tool forfinding phytochemical information and references onAustralian plants It is intended for those investigatinglsquolsquoagriculture pharmacy toxicology and Aboriginalstudiesrsquorsquo and contains over 2700 references publishedbetween 1940 and 2000 For anyone searching for phy-tochemical information on a plant known to be Aus-tralian in origin this will likely be an indispensabledatabase for references Those working on plants thatare pantropical may also find this database useful inthat many Australian journals not indexed by other da-tabases are included In addition to the ability to searchby family genus or species the authors have includedPDF files with the complete bibliography as well asauthor and plant indices
A functional database is much more than a compi-lation of information however and to be useful itmust transcend the collection of information to provideeasy access We are accustomed to very lsquolsquoclickablersquorsquowebsites and databases that are easy to use so anydatabase entering this arena must be as user-friendlyas possible I found some of the search mechanismssomewhat awkward and the instructions a bit lackingThe drop-down menus for a species will only appearif a genus is selected and likewise the genus drop-down menu will only operate if a family is selectedWhile this isnrsquot a serious problem if you are unsureof a family relationship or the correct spelling you arenot given any help in locating information This is
made more frustrating by the fact that you must alwayschoose lsquolsquoHigher Plantsrsquorsquo from the Plant Type in orderto get a family list I couldnrsquot see the utility of thisfield Among the Algae Bacteria Fungi and Lichencategories there were only 63 total families added tothe database A simpler design would allow the useraccess to drop-down menus without having selected ahigher taxonomic level Search results can be sortedby date or publication but not by author or title Onecan also search the database by compound and com-pound type but no search can be refinedmdashin order torefine a search one must re-enter all plant informationagain
The lsquolsquoCompound Typersquorsquo field is a long and confus-ing-looking list I found a lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo category (10hits) and a lsquolsquoflavonoidsrsquorsquo category (1 hit) There were21 flavonoid subcategories but they unfortunately donot all fall within the general lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo categoryThe additional subcategories could be very helpful butit apparently means that 23 searches would have to beperformed to be sure you are getting all the flavonoidinformation for a plantmdashand each time the plant namewould have to be re-entered The alkaloid subdivisionsfar outnumber the flavonoid subdivisions In a wordcumbersome Another strange detail is the fact thatmost of the journal names are abbreviatedmdashand notabbreviated consistently I saw no reason for not in-cluding the whole journal name I foundlsquolsquoJEthnopharmacologyrsquorsquo (1 hit) and JEthnopharmacol(2 hits) in the drop-down menu and the searchlsquolsquojethnorsquorsquo returned all 3 hits while lsquolsquoJournal of Eth-nopharmacologyrsquorsquo returned no hits
One of the beauties of a database like this howeveris the ability to update and change the information Asit comes the database is protected but designerrsquos con-tact information is included for those wishing to cus-tomize their database Of course it also means that theauthors can continue to update the information andwork out the design flaws for future editions Hope-fully they will It would be well worth the effort
KURT ALLERSLEV REYNERTSON
CUNY PLANT SCIENCES
BRONX NY 10468KREYNERTLEHMANCUNYEDU
Medicinal Plants of the World An Illustrated Sci-entific Guide to Important Medicinal Plants andTheir Uses Van Wyk Ben-Erik and MichaelWink 2004 Timber Press Inc The HaseltineBuilding 133 SW Second Ave Suite 450 Port-land OR 97204 480 pp (hardcover) US$ 3995ISBN 0-88192-602-7
Readers may recognize van Wykrsquos name as the au-thor of Peoplersquos Plants A Guide to Useful Plants ofSouthern Africa (review 55(4)580ndash581) This is a dif-
2004] 497BOOK REVIEWS
ferent contribution by him in partnership with anothercollaborator Van Wyk is a professor of botany at theRand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg while Mi-chael Wink is professor of pharmaceutical biology atthe University of Heidelberg
This book is introduced by a Preface Introductionan abbreviated discussion of world medical systems alist of plant parts used in medicines dosage forms useof medicinal plant products active ingredients qualityand safety efficacy of medicinal plant products andregulation of herbal remedies and phytomedicinesFollowing this are the selected 320 species in alpha-betical order For each species there is a half pagecolor photograph or sometimes two to four Text givesthe scientific name selected English common name(s)a description comments on origins parts used thera-peutic category uses and properties preparation anddosage active ingredients pharmacological effectsnotes and status In smaller font at the bottom of eachpage is the Latin name with authority the family andcommon names in up to four other European languag-es Next are discussions of health disorders and me-dicinal plants an overview of secondary metabolitesand their effects and a lsquolsquoQuick guide to commercial-ised medicinal plantsrsquorsquo that includes more than 900species Finally there is a glossary a list of furtherreading and a general index
The photographs themselves are of extremely highquality and many were taken by the authors Otherswere taken by colleagues who are listed at the end ofthe book (pp 479ndash480) In addition to the main spe-cies discussed there are sometimes photographs of re-lated species For example in addition to Zea maysthere is a photo of Secale cereale This grass is illus-trated because rye pollen sometimes comprises up to92 of what is sold as lsquolsquomaize pollenrsquorsquo
This is one more book from Timber Press that addsto their growing roster of dishonest titles While it istrue that the volume contains plants from around theworld it is not a compendium of lsquolsquoMedicinal Plants ofthe Worldrsquorsquo The true nature of the book appears in thehonest subtitle and in the authorsrsquo preface (p 6) Toobad Timber Press no longer uses titles that reflect thecontent of their books
Still the clear emphasis of this book is Europeanplants There is but a smattering of American AfricanAsian and Australian species The correct emphasis iseasily learned from the common names EnglishFrench German Italian and Spanish None are in Por-tuguese perhaps the third most abundantly used Eu-ropean language in the New World lsquolsquoNeemrsquorsquo is thename of East Indian origin for Azadirachta indica inspite of the fact that it has dozens of others in India(cf Watt 1889 Parrotta 2001)
In spite of my negative comments is this a bookthat people should buy Absolutely unreservedly yesAt the price the book is worth it simply for the pho-tographs Add to that the authoritative text and thecompact lsquolsquoquick guidersquorsquo and it is a real bargain
LITERATURE CITED
Watt George 1889 A dictionary of the economicproducts of India Reprinted 1972 by Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehra Dun India (see VolV211ndash221)
Parrotta John A 2001 Healing plants of peninsularIndia CABI Publishing New York NY
DANIEL F AUSTIN
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM
TUCSON AZ 85743DAUSTINDESERTMUSEUMORG
Economic Botany 58(3) pp 486ndash497 2004q 2004 by The New York Botanical Garden Press Bronx NY 10458-5126 USA
BOOK REVIEWS
DANIEL F AUSTIN BOOK REVIEW EDITOR
Women amp Plants Gender Relations in BiodiversityManagement amp Conservation Howard PatriciaL 2003 Zed Books Ltd 7 Cynthia Street LondonN1 9JF United Kingdom and Room 400 175 FifthAvenue New York NY 10010 USA wwwzedbooksdemoncouk xx 1 298 pp (hardcover)US$ 7500 ISBN 1-84277-156-6
Women and Plants is a valuable collection of casestudies from areas in Latin America Asia Africa Eu-rope and North America These case studies work to-gether to help us gain a better understanding of theintricate relationship between women plants and theenvironment
The contributors of this book come from many dis-ciplines such as ethnobotany geography agronomyanthropology sociology nutrition and gender studiesThese contributors have done a wonderful job stressingthe importance of including women in ethnobotanicalresearch in resource management planning and in theconservation of biodiversity and certain native plantspecies They have taken on the task of discussing thegender biases evident in most current scientific re-search policy and development practice relating tobiodiversity management and land issues The manyinternational case studies offer superb examples of thevital roles women play throughout the world in theirfamilies their communities and their natural environ-ments
The chapters in this book are neatly organized intofive parts each containing case studies that truly buildon each other Each part presents a theme that is es-sential to the analysis of women and gender relationsin peoplendashplant relationships Part 1mdashCulture Kitchenand Conservation Part 2mdashGender Relations WomenrsquosRights and Plant Management Part 3mdashGenderedPlant Knowledge in Science and Society Part 4mdashPlants Womenrsquos Status and Welfare Part 5mdashGenderBiodiversity Loss and Conservation
The design of the book is visually appealing andorganized I especially like the cover photograph andthe choice of colors for the cover I personally wouldhave appreciated one or two photographs for each ofthe case studies These could have been photographsof the women their daily activities their fields plantcollecting areas important plants etc Photos such asthese sprinkled throughout the text would pull thereader into the lives of these women at a greater anda more personal level Also a map of the study sitefor each of the case studies would have been helpfulin mentally picturing where these studies occurred Ifeel that these two additions would highlight the cul-turally and geographically diverse focus of this book
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and feel as
though my mind has been intellectually and culturallyfed and opened at the same time I now have a muchgreater understanding of and respect for those manyunnoticed and unknown women whose rich knowledgeis an important key to the survival of the environmentand ethnobotanical knowledge This book has definite-ly inspired me to take on a different and more encom-passing approach when conducting ethnobotanical re-search in the future I recommend this book to anyoneinterested in ethnobotany gender relations or the con-servation of biodiversity and of traditional knowledgeand cultures In fact anyone remotely interested in thehealth of this planet and its many inhabitants shouldread this book
SUSANNAH FULTON
UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE
PROVO UT 84606-1856STARFLWRHOTMAILCOM
Tanzanian Mushrooms Edible Harmful and OtherFungi Harkonen Marja Tuomo Neimela and Le-onard Mwasumbi 2003 Botanical Museum POBox 7 FIN-00014 University of Helsinki FinlandHelsinki Finland 200 pp (paperback) 25 curren ISBN952-10-1420-2
The authors of this volume are to be congratulatedfor producing such a comprehensive and beautifully-illustrated discussion of the mushrooms found in main-land Tanzaniarsquos forests and kitchens This volume isan updated and expanded version of Edible Mush-rooms of Tanzania (Harkonen Saarimaki and Mwa-sumbi 1995) which enjoyed only limited publicationand circulation This newer incarnation includes moretaxa as well as chapters on fungal ecology and Tan-zanian vegetation that serve to support the bookrsquos em-phasis on wood-decaying fungi It also describes threenew taxa Russula harkoneniana Buyck Phellinusamanii Niemela and Clavulina wisoli R H PetersenAlthough this book may at first seem like an unlikelyplace to propose new species readers should note thatit is volume 10 of the irregularly published botanicaljournal Norrlinia
This volume offers the reader not only a key to thefungi of Tanzania (and thus much of Eastern Africa)but also provides an excellent general introduction tofungus taxonomy ecology and identification that iswidely applicable across the geographic and educa-tional landscape Mushroom morphology is clearly ex-plained and well illustrated as are the macroscopiccharacters (growth habit cap morphology gill char-
2004] 487BOOK REVIEWS
acters stipe placement and shape veil form and po-sition and flesh qualities) and microscopic characters(spores basidia cystidia and hyphae) most useful formaking determinations Details of how to collectmushrooms and spore prints are provided in a formateasily followed by non-specialists
The taxonomic key is nicely organized and well il-lustrated Each species is accompanied by a photo-graph often showing several specimens from differentangles and aspects The photos lack reference scalesbut dimension ranges for each species are described inthe text The authors use a system of yellow stars torate edibility so that popular edible taxa are clearlydifferentiated from those that are edible only after boil-ing Likewise poisonous mushrooms are rated withskull-and-crossbones signs for rapid distinction be-tween deadly and mildly toxic taxa Local names fortaxa are reported in the key The habitat for each spe-cies is identified but the geographic distribution ismentioned only at the level of the genus perhaps thisis due to the wide geographic potential of many fungusgenera The authors do not include the off-shore Tan-zanian islands of Pemba and Zanzibar (Unguja) soresearchers working there must rely on descriptions oftaxa found in the coastal habitats of the mainland
The ethnomycological component of this book rep-resents a unique and significant contribution to Tan-zanian botany and anthropology including the docu-mentation of oral histories concerning mushroom iden-tification and uses The authors sampled a wide rangeof Tanzanian populations representing over 30 tribalgroups ranging over frac14 of the area of the country Localknowledge about the uses of mushrooms as food andmedicine were recorded as well as potentially harmfulspecies and stories and proverbs (hadithi) involvingmushrooms The authors include a section on indige-nous mushroom cuisine and introduce their own rec-ipes for mushroom dishes that are easily cooked usingtraditional Tanzanian amenities
Tanzanian Mushrooms is potentially useful to awide range of travelers students and researchers Thediscussions of mushroom morphology and ecology areclear and simple enough to aid secondary school teach-ers but are sufficiently detailed to satisfy introductoryuniversity courses on the subject The taxonomic keyis comprehensible to the interested traveler as well asthe trained mycologist The book suffers from someeditorial errors such as misspellings but these are gen-erally minor and do not detract from the informationpresented
I hope that this book is translated into Swahili (orMaa or another local language) to make the infor-mation about mushroom identification and preparationavailable to the people living in rural Tanzania Theauthors themselves note that traditional ecologicalknowledge of fungi is not taught in schools and iseasily lost when families move to a new area (p 41)Beyond its scientific contribution this book has the
potential to reinforce and renew local traditions of my-cological knowledge
LITERATURE CITED
Harkonen M T Saarimaki and L Mwasumbi1995 Edible mushrooms of Tanzania Karstenia 35Suppl1ndash92
SARAH C WALSHAW
DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST LOUIS
ST LOUIS MO 63130-4899
Ancient Wine The Search for the Origins of Vini-culture McGovern Patrick E 2003 PrincetonUniversity Press 41 William Street Princeton NJ08540 xx 1 363 pp (hardcover) US$ 2995 ISBN0-691-07080-6
lsquolsquoThe history of civilization in many ways is thehistory of wine (p 299)rsquorsquo These words appear towardthe bookrsquos end yet they perform a succinct introduc-tion McGovernrsquos great book although not targetedspecifically to botanists presents the archaethnobotanyof our speciesrsquo favorite beverage wonderfully This isa fascinating necessary reading for those interested inviticulturersquos origins and of interest for those focusedon early agriculture and trade Synthesis of diversedata types (performed well here) is difficult yet in-creasingly relevant Although this book isnrsquot authori-tative for grape domestication (instead see McGovernet al 1995) it synthesizes archaeological historicaland ethnobotanical information into a useful interest-ing work a valid endeavor for all important crops(eg Elting and Folsom 1967)
This work being primarily archaeological McGov-ern begins by introducing the evidence for Neolithicwine production leading to prehistoric viticulture andenology (chapters 1ndash4) This portion of the book willinterest ethnobotanists as the evidence confirms earlyhumanndashgrape interactions and includes DNA-basedinformation along with archaeological data not oftenseen in botanical journals A thorough engaging dis-cussion follows of early vinicultural records in ancientEgyptian Levantine Mesopotamian and other OldWorld cultures (chapters 5ndash11) This portion is enjoy-able as McGovern interjects field experiences collab-orations and labwork with the reconstruction of earlyviniculture Indeed the beverage seems to have flowedliberally during the bookrsquos research and compositionMcGovernrsquos appreciation for fruitful collaborationleaps off almost every page as does appreciation forgood wine which seems to have greatly enhanced theformer No potential data source appears untouchedhe includes excavated amphorae hieroglyphics andeven Old Testament passages Winersquos indisputableprominence in history is well-documented no ancient
488 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
culture from McGovernrsquos study area seems to havebeen without the beverage Even more recent culturesof the Levant that prohibit alcohol acknowledge itscompelling appeal to human palates
The book concludes with potential advances in mo-lecular archaeology (chapter 12) that may further il-luminate the winersquos origins This chapter avoids dis-cussing phylogenetic data perhaps owing to the lackof published phylogenies for the Vitaceae (Gerrath etal 2001) A preview of studies in early Chinese viti-culture is discussed and this will be of interest is FarEastern viticulture indigenous
I lack archaeological training therefore Irsquom un-qualified to evaluate that aspect of the work In dis-cussing minor errata below I must clarify that the vol-ume is vinicultural not botanical A reviewing botanistwould serve the bookrsquos interests however The familyVitaceae is misspelled (Vitiaceae [sic] page 7 see alsoHarriman 1999) The book states that variation in wildgrapesrsquo palatability (compared to cultivars) resultsfrom lsquolsquogenetic polymorphism of the plant (page 12)rsquorsquodue to dioecy Genetic polymorphism in populationsor species could produce fruit variation but a poly-morphism is unlikely to produce fruit variation withinone plant More likely palatability in cultivated grapes(compared to wild) is due to artificial selection andclonality (Janick nd) Additionally domesticatedgrapes vary in palatability (Winkler et al 1962) Im-mediately below tremendous fruit diversity in clonalcultivars is noted contradicting the earlier sentimentregarding genetic polymorphism Also stated lsquolsquothegrapevine growing tip consists of a core and anouter epidermal layer comprising different genetic sys-tems (p 13)rsquorsquo These develop from different initialsbut are mitotic genetically identical portions of oneplant In discussing grape seeds McGovern states thatpips are more genetically variable than wood becauseseeds are biparentally derived Although this is tech-nically true one way (pips contain various ploidy-leveltissues) wood varies as much as (sporophytic) embry-os inside seeds ie wood is also derived from twogametes
The eponymous search documented herein is diffi-cult and the book summarizes a tremendous amountof historical cultural archaeological enological andethnobotanical information That McGovern succeededin making such an ambitious project enjoyable to readis to his great credit This book is relevant to thoseinterested in archaethnobotany and will be interestingto many others
LITERATURE CITED
Elting M and M Folsom 1967 The mysteriousgrain Science in search of the origin of corn MEvans New York
Gerrath J M U Posluszny and N G Dengler2001 Primary vascular patterns in the Vitaceae In-
ternational Journal of Plant Sciences 162 (4)729ndash745
Harriman N E 1999 Anti-fertility plants of the Pa-cific (Book Review) Economic Botany 53228ndash229
Janick J nd Origins of fruits and fruit growing Hor-ticultural Reviews 31
McGovern P E S J Fleming and S H Katzeds 1995 The origins and ancient history of wineGordon and Breach Publishers Philadelphia
Winkler A J J A Cook W M Kliewer and LA Lider 1962 General viticulture University ofCalifornia Press Berkeley California
M PATRICK GRIFFITH
RANCHO SANTA ANA BOTANIC GARDEN
CLAREMONT CA 91711MICHAELPATRICKGRIFFITHCGUEDU
Bacillus thuringiensis A Cornerstone of ModernAgriculture Metz Matthew ed 2004 Food Prod-ucts PressHaworth Press Inc 10 Alice StreetBinghamton NY 13904-1580 xxii 1 242 pp (pa-perback) US$ 5995 ISBN 1-56022-109-7
This book is excellent for presenting to its readersa theme of the positive results in articles about the useand impact of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in pest con-trol systems This theme of positive results is presentedin examples of effective and non-effective lsquolsquoresistant-managementrsquorsquo systems it suggests Bt (in pest control)is a candidate to be an important biological agent withproperties of a chemical pesticide (insecticide) Thebook suggests that Bt is environmentally friendly andcost-effective for controlling insects in tropical Asiaand South America suggesting more successful foodproduction from its use for as long as it is effectiveFor example the Diamond Back Moth in Hawaii hasdeveloped resistance to Bt
This information comes to us at a time when weneed to know what to answer to questions about theuse of the Bacillus organism on crops and geneticallymodified into crops Bt is already introduced into ourenvironment and into our food production system
In the preface the editor has written to us that theprimary beneficiaries are lsquolsquostudents scientists and pro-fessionals dealing with pest control environmentalprotection and regulation of transgenetic cropsrsquorsquo Thesecondary beneficiaries are the people in society Weget increased understanding of the risk vs benefits ofthe lsquolsquoinevitable introduction into Integrated Pest Man-agement (IPM) programs in all parts of the worldrsquorsquo
The editor suggested that readers may start with anyof the twelve chapters If we read them all we will beinformed about Risk vs Benefits Development Strat-egies Potential World Food Production and IssuesFacing Scientists Legislators and Consumers I acted
2004] 489BOOK REVIEWS
on his suggestion and starting reading chapters withanswers to my questions How does it work (Insec-ticidal Crystal ProteinsmdashICPs) Is it safe for humans(Yes) Is there evidence of pest resistance (Yes)
The first few chapters answered my questions I readthat Bt has proven to be one of the safest products forpest control in terms of impact on human health1 Btis safe for humans because of the specificity of thekilling agent (ICP) It kills specifically LepidopteraColeoptera Diptera
In the next few articles we can read about crop-specific case studies featuring international cotton pro-duction Case studies about rice potatoes and sugar-cane are interesting and informative There is a seriousdiscussion about the criteria for successful lsquolsquoresistancemanagementrsquorsquo and the importance of preserving theeffectiveness of Bt using these criteria And for thoseof us who would miss them if they were not repre-sented there are articles presenting the result of lab-oratory research For example we may read about theimportance of developing a lsquolsquomore rapid method forevaluation of gene constructsrsquorsquo and about a SyntheticCrystal Protein which may kill insects currently resis-tant to Bt
If you have ever questioned where are the researchresults about the use of Bt-based insecticides and trans-genic crops in our food production system or talkedabout its use with your colleagues you must read thesetwelve articles You will need the comprehensive an-swers provided for the questions about the use of Ba-cillus thuringiensis its potential in world food produc-tion its risks benefits development and resistances-management strategies
HENRY GARCIA-ALVAREZ
INTERNATIONAL AGRI-FORESTRY
DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT
BRYTE CALIFORNIA 95605HHHERBALDCNORG
Pueraria The Genus Pueraria Keung Wing Minged 2002 Medicinal and Aromatic PlantsmdashIndus-trial Profiles Vol 23 Hardman Roland ed Tayloramp Francis 11 New Fetter Lane London EC4P4EE UK xviii 1 290 pp (hardcover) US$ 10995ISBN 0-415-28492-9
1 EDITORrsquoS NOTE But not for non-humans thereis no target specificity All Lepidoptera Coleopteraand Diptera are targets whether lsquolsquofriendlyrsquorsquo or lsquolsquoun-friendlyrsquorsquo In other words all butterflies (includingmonarchs) lady beetles and other native insects arealso targeted Among other recent commentaries onthis topic see Nabhan Gary P 2001 Coming Hometo Eat The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods288 pp W W Norton amp Company ISBN0393020177
The wide recognition of the common names Kudzu(United States) Ge-gen (China) and Kuzu (Japan) bythe average person in these countries reflects the im-portance of the genus Pueraria in both the West andthe East This bookrsquos seventeen chapters although nota comprehensive review for all botanical traditionaluse and other potential topics does contain a verybroad number of scholarly works on the genus Puer-aria Although many topics are covered the main per-spective is from the viewpoint of a pharmacognocistor natural products chemist evaluating the chemistrypharmacological safety and potential as a drug or sci-ence based therapeutic agent In the first chapter L JG van der Maesen summarizes his most recent taxo-nomic revision of the genus Pueraria where he rec-ognizes 15 species It is unclear why many researchershave been slow to incorporate the latest taxonomic andnomenclatural changes by Maesen including contrib-utors to many chapters of this book
Pueraria has been used on a large scale for erosioncontrol fiber starch and as an ingredient in diversityof Traditional Chinese and Kampo medicines Kath-leen Lowneyrsquos final chapter in the book lsquolsquoFriend orFoe Changing cultural definitions of Kudzursquorsquo gives agood analysis of how Kudzu in the 20th century hasgone through an enthusiastic period a disenchantmentperiod and now is in a period of tempered enthusiasmIt would be accurate to summarize the current state ofthe science of the potential health benefits of Kudzu(P montana var lobata or P lobata) and related spe-cies like P mirifica and P tuberosa reviewed in thisvolume as lsquolsquotempered enthusiasmrsquorsquo since most of theevidence is based on chemistry pre-clinical and verysmall clinical trials for specific indications The bookhas brought together in one small volume a summaryof much of the chemistry and pharmacology of Kudzuand related species including the potential benefitsconcerning alcohol abuse hepatoprotection cardiovas-cular function and for estrogen related disorders suchas the possible chemo-preventive effects for estrogenrelated cancers and osteoporosis as well as P tuber-sosa contraceptive efficacy and toxicity
The book also includes some of the diversity of usesin Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese patentmedicines as well as information related to the qualityof TCM and patent medicines In addition the volumeincludes chapters on ethnobotany and economic usesincluding food and fiber products However the eth-nobotany economic botany ecology and plant tax-onomy of Pueraria are covered only briefly in com-parison to the current literature and should be seen asbackground for the main theme of the chemistry andpharmacology of the genus For example botanistswishing to learn whether the fast growing Kudzu isdestroying the plant diversity of the American southwill not find the answer in this book
The treatment of Pueraria chemistry is not compre-hensive but covers the isoflavonoids (the chemical
490 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
class that are the source of most of the reported bio-logical activity) in the most depth This book includeschapters on Pueraria isoflavonoid biosynthesis mam-malian metabolism and specific pharmacological ac-tivities The index is helpful for locating chemicalcompounds and biological activity but ethnobotanistsand economic botanists trying to locate information ontraditional and economic uses will find the index ofalmost no value This volume contains many excellentchapters that will be of most value for university li-braries and natural products researchers interested inthe potential of Pueraria as a science based therapeuticagent
EDWARD M CROOM JRUNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
OXFORD MS 38655EDWARDCROOMINFO
Magnolia The Genus Magnolia Sarker Satyajit Dand Yuji Maruyama eds 2002 Medicinal and Ar-omatic PlantsmdashIndustrial Profiles Vol 28 Hard-man Roland ed Taylor amp Francis 11 New FetterLane London EC4P 4EE UK xii 1 187 pp(hardcover) US$ 12995 ISBN 0-415-28494-5
For many botanists in the West the chemistry andbiological activity of the genus Magnolia remains to-tally unknown even though it was used by NativeAmericans and others in the Southeastern UnitedStates However in Traditional Chinese Medicine andTCMrsquos close Japanese cousin Kampo medicine Mag-nolia is well known as an ingredient in formulas totreat many illnesses The beauty of this book residesin the clarity and logical organization that make learn-ing about the traditional uses phytochemistry biolog-ical activity and pharmacology as well as quality con-trol and native distribution and cultivation of Magnoliaspecies a pleasant educational adventure The verythorough index is also so well organized that one canfind selected topics concerning individual species orspecific biological activities in an instant
This book is so good a compilation of the currentknowledge concerning the health related informationon the genus Magnolia that it is simply elegant I rec-ommend this book for anyone who is interested inMagnolia as a therapeutic agent Both the editors andthe authors are to be commended for their intelligentand thoughtful contribution to the scientific literatureThis volume could serve as a model for any of us onhow to edit and write a concise reference work
EDWARD M CROOM JRUNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
OXFORD MS 38655EDWARDCROOMINFO
Flora of China Vol 6 Caryophyllaceae throughLardizabalaceae Wu Zheng-yi Peter H Ravenet al eds 2002 Science Press 16 Donghuang-chenggen North Street Beijing 100717 China andMissouri Botanical Garden Press 4344 ShawBlvd St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 512 pp(hardcover) US$ 10000 ISBN 0-915279-05-9
The Flora of China (FOC) series is an up-to-dateEnglish-language revision of the Flora Republicae Po-pularis Sinicae (FRPS) Once completed the approx-imately 30 000 species of native naturalized and ex-otic economically important vascular plants found inChina will be described in 24 volumes (including a25th supplementary volume containing a cumulativeindex for all the volumes) This revision continues asan important endeavor because the rich flora of Chinahas contributed many economically important speciesincluding those used for food medicine and ornamen-tal purposes
FOC organizes the sequence of families by a mod-ified Englerian system Dichotomous keys throughspecies level and in some cases infraspecies followfamily descriptions Care has been taken to list syno-nyms only after they are checked to be correctly iden-tified and used in other major East Asian floras andwith the author names and bibliographical citation forbasionyms and author names only for synonyms
All the FOC volumes conveniently include four in-dexes 1) Chinese character names sorted by brushstrokes 2) transliteration of Chinese names sorted byHanyu Pinyin 3) scientific names and 4) an index tofamilies in the FOC and FRPS volumes A large mapof China delimiting its provinces and adjacent coun-tries is provided as endpapers
A note regarding the value of having the pinyin in-dex In my research with Vietnamese food plantsmany species introduced by the Chinese not only toVietnam but also to other areas of the United Statesthat is home to large Chinese and Vietnamese popu-lations are known locally by the pinyin name as wellas the Vietnamese name Therefore knowledge of bothcan facilitate identification to the Latin binomial
My original complaint with the flora was the priceof each volume I have since learned it is possible tobuy volume pairs (Text and Illustrations) at a reducedrate of $15000pair That is still expensive but an in-telligent investment for a handsome and valuable in-clusion to the library of any student of the plants ofChina and Asia as well as others interested in florist-ics systematics plant distributions and economic bot-any
FOC Vol 6 treats the Caryophyllaceae (30 genera390 species) Nelumbonaceae (1 species) Nympha-ceae (3 genera 8 species) Cabombaceae (2 genera 2species) Ceratophyllaceae (1 genera 3 species) Eup-teleaceae (1 species) Trochodendraceae (1 species)Tetracentraceae (1 species) Cercidiphyllaceae (1 spe-
2004] 491BOOK REVIEWS
cies) Paeoniaceae (1 genus 15 species) Ranuncula-ceae (38 genera 921 species) Circaeasteraceae (1 spe-cies) and Lardizabalaceae (7 genera 37 species) ofthe 1382 taxa included 60 represented by 8 generaand 832 species are endemic to China
FOC Vol 6 includes nomenclatural novelties in thegenera Anemone Arenaria Clematis and Delphinium
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 6 Caryophylla-ceae through Lardizabalaceae Wu Zheng-yi Pe-ter H Raven et al eds 2003 Science Press 16Donghuangchenggen North Street Beijing 100717China and Missouri Botanical Garden Press POBox 299 St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 446 pp(hardcover) US$ 11500 ISBN 1-930723-25-3
The publication of separate texts and illustrationsvolumes has facilitated the production of richly de-tailed beautiful books These books will be a treasureto those that appreciate beautiful yet accurately de-tailed botanical illustrations The arrangement of illus-trations follows the sequence of taxa represented in thecorresponding text volumes Each taxon is presentedwith its identifying morphological features (flowersfruits leaves etc) However the primary downfall isthe absence of measurements or scales Instead mea-surements for each of the particular parts (flowersfruits leaves etc) are only provided in the taxon de-scriptions in the corresponding text volumes The nu-merous plant parts drawn to different scales on a singlepage further complicate this Therefore though the il-lustrations are excellent without the accompanyingtext their purchase is an aesthetic luxury
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 6 accompanies theFOC Vol 6 published in 2001 The illustrations vol-ume includes 420 figures covering 858 species (thekeys text treats 1382 species) represented in the Car-yophyllaceae (229 species) Nelumbonaceae (1 spe-cies) Nymphaceae (3 species) Cabombaceae (1 spe-cies) Ceratophyllaceae (3 species) Eupteleaceae (1species) Trochodendraceae (1 species) Cercidiphyl-laceae (1 species) Paeoniaceae (12 species) Ranun-culaceae (539 species) Circaeasteraceae (1 species)and Lardizabalaceae (14 species) Tetracentraceaetreated in the text FOC is not illustrated
Flora of China Vol 9 Pittosporaceae through Con-naraceae Wu Zheng-yi Peter H Raven et al eds2003 Science Press 16 DonghuangchenggenNorth Street Beijing 100717 China and MissouriBotanical Garden Press PO Box 299 St LouisMO 63166-0299 xii 1 496 pp (hardcover) US$10000 ISBN 1-930723-14-8
Flora of China (FOC) Vol 9 treats the families Pit-tosporaceae (1 genus 46 species) Hamamelidaceae(18 genera 74 species) Eucommiaceae (1 species)Platanaceae (1 genus 3 species) Rosaceae (55 genera950 species) and Connaraceae (6 genera 9 species)of which 59 are endemic to China
FOC Vol 9 includes nomenclatural novelties in thegenera Cerasus Cotoneaster Crataegus Malus Pa-dus Rosa and Rubus
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 24 Flagellari-aceae through Marantaceae Wu Zheng-yi PeterH Raven et al eds 2002 Science Press 16Donghuangchenggen North Street Beijing 100717China and Missouri Botanical Garden Press POBox 299 St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 449 pp(hardcover) US$ 11500 ISBN 0-930723-00-8
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 24 accompaniesthe FOC Vol 24 published in 2000 which treated1335 species The Vol 24 Illustrations includes 423figures representing 782 species in the Flagellariaceae(1 species) Restionaceae (1 species) Centrolepidaceae(1 species) Xyridaceae (4 species) Eriocaulaceae (19species) Bromeliaceae (3 species) Commelinaceae(34 species) Pontederiaceae (4 species) Philydraceae(1 species) Juncaceae (65 species) Stemonaceae (3species) Liliaceae (430 species) Amaryllidaceae (16species) Taccaceae (6 species) Dioscoreaceae (41 spe-cies) Iridaceae (53 species) Musaceae (6 species)Lowiaceae (1 species) Costaceae (3 species) Zingi-beraceae (53 species) Cannaceae (3 species) and Mar-antaceae (6 species)
MY LIEN T NGUYEN
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIlsquoI AT MANOA
HONOLULU HI 96822MYLIENHAWAIIEDU
Flora of North America North of Mexico Volume4 Caryophyllidae in part Caryophyllales Part1 (pink order) Editorial Committee 2003 OxfordUniversity Press 198 Madison Avenue New YorkNY 10016 xxiv 1 559 pp (hardcover) $12000ISBN 0-19-517389-9
Since publication of the first two in 1993 each newvolume in the Flora of North America North of Mexicoseries has been eagerly anticipated and fondly receivedby botanists working on the continent Volume 4 Mag-noliophyta Caryophyllidae part 1 is the latest in theseries to be published and is destined like those beforeit to be appreciated by botanists for its authoritative-ness and utility Although this volume is the eighth toappear in the series it is only the second (out of a
492 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
projected nineteen) published that deals with dicoty-ledonous families the others to date have focused onfern gymnosperm and monocot taxa It is the first oftwo to deal with the Caryophyllidae and covers tenfamilies included within the order CaryophyllalesPhytolaccaceae Achatocarpaceae Nyctaginaceae Ai-zoaceae Cactaceae Chenopodiaceae AmaranthaceaePortulacaceae Basellaceae and Molluginaceae Cov-erage of these families totals 124 genera and 892 spe-cies
The largest portion of Volume 4 is devoted to theCactaceae accordingly it is a must for those workingin arid parts of North America where member taxapredominate However families such as the Cheno-podiaceae Amaranthaceae and Portulacaceae alsoconstitute a significant portion of the publication andthe widespread distribution of these families acrossNorth America makes the volume invaluable else-where Moreover in keeping with the precedent set byother volumes in the series short but highly informa-tive accounts of each family precede taxonomic treat-ments This arrangement ensures that although partic-ular keys might not prove immediately useful for bot-anists each volume is nevertheless indispensable forthe authoritative summaries provided
For the economic botanist there are many genera ofinterest included From the Cactaceae for examplethere are Carnegiea (saguaro) Lophophora (peyote)Nopalea (nopal) and Opuntia (pricklypear) The Por-tulacaceae includes treatments of Claytonia (spring-beauty) Lewisia Montia and Portulaca (purslane)From the Phytolaccaceae is the genus Phytolacca(pokeweed) And then there are Celosia (cockscomb)and Amaranthus (pigweed amaranth) from the Amar-anthaceae When one finally includes a few of themany species from the Chenopodiaceae that are of eco-nomic importancemdasheg Atriplex (orach saltbush)Beta (beet chard) Chenopodium (goosefoot lambrsquos-quarters quinoa) Kochia Salsola (Russian thistletumbleweed) Sarcobatus (greasewood) Spinacia(spinach) Suaeda (sea-blite)mdashVolume 4 appears as atruly essential reference for botanists and plantsmenworking in North America
As I stated in an earlier review (see Economic Bot-any 54(4)655) I feel a principal fault with the seriesif there is to be one is that there are far too few illus-trations accompanying the text Given the exceptionalquality of those illustrations that are included thisproves to be a persistently disappointing feature in anotherwise flawless series While the botanical descrip-tions included in each volume are certainly clear andconcise the old adage that lsquolsquoa picture speaks a thou-sand wordsrsquorsquo is indeed appropriate here This saidthere are few criticisms to make with regard to thecontent of each volume and this one is no exceptionIt is with eager anticipation then that botanists likemyself will undoubtedly be awaiting the next in theseries to appear
ERIC P BURKHART
SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
EPB6PSUEDU
De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes CD-ROM Fuchs Leonard 1542 Octavo Edition 134Linden Street Oakland CA 94607-2538 US$3000 ISBN 1-59110-051-8
Botanists of all persuasions should allow themselvesthe pleasure of thumbing through Fuchsrsquo herbal Thisherbal is a beautiful scholarly and scientific piece ofbotanical and medical history Fuchs wrote at the timewhen economic botany was an essential component ofmedicine and gardeners raised remedies He used thisbook to take lsquolsquoherbalsrsquorsquo out of the dark ages and intothe Renaissance synthesizing classical texts medievalherbals and new ideas of naturalism and science Thequality of Fuchsrsquo herbal is cited as one of the majorreasons herbal remedies remained a part of mainstreamGerman medicine in the last 500 years and it is thescholarly forerunner of todayrsquos respected CommissionE reports
Karen Reedsrsquo introductory lsquolsquoCommentaryrsquorsquo gives agreat history of Fuchs the herbal and its historicalcontext Reeds tells of the obstacles Fuchs faced in hisquest to create a new type of herbal the Vienna Codex[a much expanded and corrected version of the herbalin three huge volumes] and how Fuchsrsquo first book re-vealed the dangerous mistakes medieval physiciansand apothecaries were making because of transcriptionmistakes in botanical identifications
Functionally the CD-ROM version offers severaltools and options that make this more than just an in-expensive substitute for the lsquolsquoreal bookrsquorsquo At 1frasl10 thecost of the hardback print version it contains highquality images of the entire book in a large Acrobatpdf file The images of the open book are excellentand so realistically detailed that you can actually seefaint crinkles in the paper and the shadows of text fromthe reverse side of the pages
I do have two complaints with the electronic formatFirst there is a confusing array of lsquolsquopagesrsquorsquo and a falsecursor or mouse move can cause you to lsquolsquojumprsquorsquo to dif-ferent sections unintentionally Itrsquos hard to find actualpage numbers from the original text even though theyare used in the index because you must use [different]Adobe Reader lsquolsquoViewrsquorsquo and lsquolsquoPagersquorsquo numbers Secondlyyou must take time to learn how to navigate the text inAdobe Reader Octavorsquos Visual Guide is clear and com-plete but you have to find it It takes time and practiceto learn the commands so you might want to just printout the instructions until you are comfortable with theformat I do recommend that you take the time how-ever since there are many useful and convenient fea-
2004] 493BOOK REVIEWS
tures For instance you can search the text zoom in ona variety of images or text or use the lsquolsquoPagesrsquorsquo tool tobrowse through all of the pages as thumbnail-sized im-ages The lsquolsquoBookmarksrsquorsquo tool reveals a navigable tableof contents which expand contract or highlight partic-ular entries for your own reference
All in all this edition is a great find that you willappreciate more as you use it and become familiar withthe format As a classic landmark masterpiece in bo-tanical history either the CD or the hardcover versionshould be included in your personal or university li-brary
KAROL CHANDLER-EZELL
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63108KAROLEPIWUSTLEDU
Bacterial Disease Resistance in Plants MolecularBiology and Biotechnological Applications Vid-hyasekaran P 2002 The Haworth Press Inc 10Alice Street Binghamton NY 13904 xiv 1 452pp (paperback) US$ 5995 ISBN 1-56022-925-X
Current through the late 1990s this text by a notedauthority in the field does a remarkable job of cov-ering the complex area of plant resistance to bacterialdisease The book is logically organized into 6 majorchapters Molecular Recognition Processes BetweenPlant and Bacterial Pathogens Host Defense Mecha-nisms The Cell WallmdashThe First Barrier and a Sourceof Defense Signal Molecules Active Oxygen SpeciesInducible Plant Proteins Inducible Secondary Metab-olites and the final chapter is Biological ApplicationsMolecular Manipulation of Bacterial Disease Resis-tance References (over 1700) are contained in a blend-ed comprehensive list at the end of the text by authorThis reviewer noted very few errors in text tables orcharts No chemical structures are in the text other thaninitialed protein sequences
The text represents a thorough summary of the ma-jor findings in the six basic areas of plantsrsquo responsesto bacterial invasion Though a few years out of datethe findings are clearly presented in mostly chronolog-ical fashion and serve as an excellent review of thedevelopment of the entire field The author furthermoreinterjects insightful comments from his long career inthe area These often are calls for additional researchinto poorly understood processes such as tylose accu-mulation and early research on hsr and str gene-en-coded proteins The general area of active oxygen spe-cies lacks a discussion of NO Other shortcomings ofthe test are its lack of sufficient coverage of induciblesecondary metabolites (the term alkaloid is not evenin the index) the roles of Ca11 and calmodulin andthe abbreviated treatment given the jasmonatemeth-yljasmonate induction process
This text can be recommended for the researcherwho is seeking an overview of the entire process Itcan also serve as a very readable introduction to thegraduate student just becoming familiar with the areaIt can be recommended for inclusion in the libraries ofdepartments of plant pathology botanyplant physiol-ogy and plant molecular biology
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Breeding Research on Aromatic and MedicinalPlants Johnson Christopher B and ChlodwigFranz eds 2002 Haworth Herbal Press 10 AliceStreet Binghamton NY 13904-1580 xx 1 435 pp(paperback) US$ 4995 ISBN 0-7890-1973-6
This book was co-published simultaneously as theJournal of Herbs Spices and Medicinal Plants 9 (23 and 4) in 2002 and represents papers presented atthe second international conference on lsquolsquoBreeding Re-search on Medicinal and Aromatic Plantsrsquorsquo held inCrete in July of 2000 It is divided into four majorsections Conventional Breeding Biochemistry Bio-technology Molecular Genetics and Physiology Bio-diversity and Conservation of Medicinal and AromaticPlantsrsquo Resources and Economic Ethical and LegalAspects There is a combined topicauthor index thatlacks a comprehensive inclusion of phytochemicalsThe text contains very few errors and has extensivespecific data inserted in numerous maps graphs andtables The editors have done a fine job of organizinga wide array of topics by numerous authors into par-allel text Chapters contain a summary and key wordsintroduction detailed materials and methods (whereapplicable) results and conclusions Each chapter hasits own references listed which this reviewer prefersover a single composite listing at the end of the text
The plants discussed center heavily on Mediterra-nean species and the regionrsquos cultivars phytopatholog-ical considerations and climatehabitats which maylimit the textrsquos utility to North American conditionsthough on occasion North American cultivars are in-cluded as in Buter and Buterrsquos chapter on Hypericumperforatum L and Keskitalorsquos on Tanacetum vulgareL in Finland
Other interesting chapters that digress from the titleinclude Goeschlrsquos lsquolsquoStakes in the evolutionary raceThe economic value of plants for medicinal applica-tionsrsquorsquo Llewelynrsquos lsquolsquoEuropean Plant Intellectual Prop-ertyrsquorsquo and Padusi et al lsquolsquoChallenges and opportunitiesin enhancing the conservation and use of medicinaland aromatic plantsrsquorsquo
This book can be recommended first and foremost
494 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
to those researchers involved with medicinal plantbreeding in the Mediterranean region It may serve asan additional valuable reference in the libraries of oth-ers interested in solving the present dayrsquos dilemmas ofsupply and standardization of medicinal and aromaticplantsrsquo products especially in light of questions ofconservation and the preservation of genetic diversity
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Gathering Moss A Natural and Cultural History ofMosses Kimmerer Robin Wall 2003 OregonState University Press Corvallis viii 1 168 pp(paperback) US$ 1795 ISBN 0-87071-499-6
Letrsquos face it mosses are not generally considered tobe glamorous plants Introductory biology textbookspresent mosses as examples of (1) the most primitiveof plants transitional between algae and ferns and oth-er pteridophytes and (2) the principle of lsquolsquoalternationof generationsrsquorsquo Once you have read Gathering Mossyour image of this neglected group will be consider-ably broadened
This slim volume consists of a series of 20 briefessays Robin Kimmerer a botanist and the author ofnumerous publications on mosses in The Bryologistand other scientific journals also happens to be of Pot-awatomi heritage She is thus able to combine her sci-entific training and botanical knowledge with the in-digenous lsquolsquoways of knowingrsquorsquo including emotion andspirit as well as mind and body
Most essays begin with a folksy account of someevent in the authorrsquos personal life such as a foray intothe woods with her daughters in the Adirondacks oran interchange between herself and a neighbor In eachcase there is seamlessly woven into her account someaspect of mosses their diversity ecology or physiol-ogy One essay lsquolsquoThe Web of Reciprocity IndigenousUses of Mossrsquorsquo surveys some of the every-day waysthat Native peoples have used mosses
Although not intended as a field guide many ex-cellent pen-and-ink drawings illustrating various spe-cies of mosses are scattered throughout The bibliog-raphy includes references on economic aspects ofmosses as well as those on moss identification
After you read this book I predict that you willnever again think of mosses as insignificant or super-fluous It is hoped that this book Professor Kimmererrsquosfirst will not be her last
THOMAS E HEMMERLY
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
MURFREESBORO TN 37132THEMMERLMTSUEDU
A Global Compendium of Weeds Randall R P2002 R G amp F J Richardson PO Box 42 Mer-edith Victoria 3333 Australia distributed by Mis-souri Botanical Garden Press PO Box 299 StLouis MO 63166 wwwmbgpresscom xxxii 1905 pp (hardcover) US$ 99 1 shipping amp han-dling ISBN 0-9587439-8-3
The source material of this lsquolsquoencyclopediarsquorsquo is everybook pamphlet journal article personal communica-tion and website the author could find There are near-ly 300 of these listed in Table 1 pages viiindashxxvii Theyare arbitrarily numbered 1ndash300 in no discernible pat-tern with a half dozen lsquolsquovacantrsquorsquo These are highlyvariable in their quality obviously We have for ex-ample Royer and Dickinson 1999 lsquolsquoWeeds of Canadaand the Northern United Statesrsquorsquo a scholarly workNumber 299 on the list but also Number 281 on thelist lsquolsquoPrincipales Malezas de Centro America y El Ca-ribe Controladas con Rounduprsquorsquo So far as I know thisherbicide kills every plant it touches so this referenceis surely not a critical source of information But forgood or ill there it is make of it what you will
Randall is quite aware that websites (abundantly cit-ed) come and go and he warns the reader accordinglyIt is characteristic of the approach this book takes thathe also tells the reader how to do a Google search
Therersquos a striking picture on the cover It looks likesome kind of lsquolsquocreature from the Black Lagoonrsquorsquo It isin fact Lavandula stoechas (Lamiaceae) and it is re-peated on the title page There are two other illustra-tions Phalaris aquatica (Poaceae) on xxxi and Pa-paver somniferum on p 761 These images are iden-tified on the back of the title page but not particular-ized as to page number
The body of the text is an alphabetical listing byscientific names with abundant synonymy and crossreferences with associated family name and some-times more than one family name when the expertsdonrsquot agree An unusual and most helpful feature is thecitation of common names in what appear to be dozensof languages rendered into Roman script For exam-ple under Alopecurus aequalis (Poaceae) we havelsquoshort-awned foxtailrsquo lsquoorange foxtail lsquomarsh foxtailrsquoand lsquorantapuntarpaarsquo I have no idea what languagethat last one is transcribed from and thatrsquos preciselywhat will make this book so useful to botanists of allstripes here at last is a source to look up obscure com-mon names Most helpfully all names are included inan exhaustive alphabetical index pp 763ndash905
As is typical of books on weeds this one offers nodefinition of the term If somebody somewhere forsome reason called it a lsquolsquoweedrsquorsquo then itrsquos here As aresult specialists will wonder at the inclusion of somenames but I doubt he has made any significant exclu-sions He claims there are 20 672 entries of scientific
2004] 495BOOK REVIEWS
names and 27 108 common names and I believe himHis sources of information for each entry are given bythe arbitrary numbering system mentioned above
The previous lsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo on weeds wasHolm et al lsquolsquoA Geographical Atlas of World Weedsrsquorsquo1979 with a reprint edition in 1991 it listed 6400species Randallrsquos book bids fair to become the newlsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
Wheat Ecology and Physiology of Yield Determi-nation Satorre Emilio H and Gustavo A Slafereds 1999 Food Products Press an imprint of TheHaworth Press Inc 10 Alice Street BinghamtonNY 13904 xx 1 503 pp (paperback) US$ 125(hardcover) US$ 5995 (paperback) ISBN1-56022-874-1 (hardcover) ISBN 1-56022-875-X(paperback printing 2000)
The editors have marshaled experts from around theworld to write 19 chapters on improving wheat yieldsThese are organized into four parts Wheat PhysiologyWheat Ecology Wheat Production Systems andBreeding to Further Raise Wheat Yields The result isa kind of updated textbook on agronomy of cultivatedwheat There is nothing on the evolution of the speciesunder the hand of mankindmdashthatrsquos not the intent
There is an enormous investigational base for awork of this kind because wheat is the most widelygrown crop in the world approximately one-sixth ofthe worldrsquos total arable land is cultivated with wheatAs evidence of how vast the literature is one needonly look at the references cited at the end of eachchaptermdashI was struck by the fact that all cited papersand books are in English with no hint of anything inFrench German Russian or Spanish
The editors included their own introductory chapterwherein they point out that there are over 300 000plant species but only 24 of these are used as cropsto satisfy most human requirements for food and fiberFor the first 50 years of the twentieth century yieldsincreased dramatically because more and more landwas brought into production but yields per hectarewere essentially flat Dramatic increases in yield perhectare came about with large increases in researchbut for the last decade or so yields have leveled offeven as human populations have continued to growdramatically The contributing authors have all pointedout where more information is needed and the bookis probably already being used to shape future researchprograms
This is not a symposium volume and the editors areto be congratulated for having taken the time to com-
pile an extensive author index as well as a thoroughsubject index As a result one can find (for example)where antibiosis and antixenosis are covered in thebook not to mention lsquolsquochromosome engineeringrsquorsquo andlsquolsquoslugsrsquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
North American Wildland Plants A Field GuideStubbendieck James Stephan L Hatch and L MLandholt 2003 University of Nebraska Press 233North 8th Street Lincoln Nebraska xiv 1 501 pp(paperback) US$ 3000 ISBN 0-8032-9306-2
This new volume the sixth edition of North Amer-ican Range Plants (Stubbendieck 1986) is a welcomeaddition to the bookshelf of any rangeland ecologist ornatural resource specialist Focusing primarily onplants of the Great Plains the book describes about200 common rangeland plants The taxonomic layoutis organized into four classifications grasses (whichmake up about half the taxa) grass-like plants forbsand woody plants Distribution maps vernacular andscientific names habit descriptions and detailed leaffloral and fruit characteristics are included in the neat-ly arranged text Additional plant information includ-ing historic uses value as forage for livestock andgeneral habitat greatly increase the bookrsquos potentialappeal
Beautifully drawn illustrations with details and ex-planations of particularly significant morphologicalstructures are presented alongside the species descrip-tions for easy cross-reference in the field Illustratedglossaries near the front of the book provide a conciseand comprehensive background for those less familiarwith technical terminology The book also contains atext-only glossary and an authorities section that de-tails the authorrsquos citations
All in all it is a thorough painstakingly researchedbook of proven valuemdashhence the many editions Thatraises the question lsquolsquoWhy change the title after allthese yearsrsquorsquo
LITERATURE CITED
Stubbendieck J S L Hatch and K J Hirsch1986 North American range plants 5th ed Uni-versity of Nebraska Press Lincoln NE
GREGORY GUST
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
PO BOX 299ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63166-0299
496 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
PhytoChem Australia A Database on AustralianPlant Chemistry 1940ndash2000 [CD-ROM] CollinsD J and C C J Culvenor 2003 CSIRO Pub-lishing PO Box 1139 URL wwwpublishcsiroau Collingwood Vic 3066 Australia AU$29500 ISBN 0643066322
As scientists we use databases on a daily basis tosort data and locate references We also occasionallyconstruct our own databases to help solve researchproblems Large cross-referenced books indices andcyclopedias were the original databases but PCs andnew software have made the database more availableand more useful the Internet has also made many ofthese databases accessible on-line
In natural products chemistry the study of theknown chemical composition of a plant begins withdatabase reference searches There are some searchabledatabases like NAPRALERT that are incredibly com-prehensive and constantly updatedmdashbut expensive fora well-researched plant Chemical Abstracts BiosisMedline and the various academic journal databasesall index differently and to get a comprehensiveknowledge of the previous phytochemical work on agiven plant several searches in many databases are re-quired None of these databases are perfect There alsoremain many professional journals not indexed bythese databases which tend to have an American orEuropean slant The PhytoChem Australia CD-ROMhas been released to fill this void as a useful tool forfinding phytochemical information and references onAustralian plants It is intended for those investigatinglsquolsquoagriculture pharmacy toxicology and Aboriginalstudiesrsquorsquo and contains over 2700 references publishedbetween 1940 and 2000 For anyone searching for phy-tochemical information on a plant known to be Aus-tralian in origin this will likely be an indispensabledatabase for references Those working on plants thatare pantropical may also find this database useful inthat many Australian journals not indexed by other da-tabases are included In addition to the ability to searchby family genus or species the authors have includedPDF files with the complete bibliography as well asauthor and plant indices
A functional database is much more than a compi-lation of information however and to be useful itmust transcend the collection of information to provideeasy access We are accustomed to very lsquolsquoclickablersquorsquowebsites and databases that are easy to use so anydatabase entering this arena must be as user-friendlyas possible I found some of the search mechanismssomewhat awkward and the instructions a bit lackingThe drop-down menus for a species will only appearif a genus is selected and likewise the genus drop-down menu will only operate if a family is selectedWhile this isnrsquot a serious problem if you are unsureof a family relationship or the correct spelling you arenot given any help in locating information This is
made more frustrating by the fact that you must alwayschoose lsquolsquoHigher Plantsrsquorsquo from the Plant Type in orderto get a family list I couldnrsquot see the utility of thisfield Among the Algae Bacteria Fungi and Lichencategories there were only 63 total families added tothe database A simpler design would allow the useraccess to drop-down menus without having selected ahigher taxonomic level Search results can be sortedby date or publication but not by author or title Onecan also search the database by compound and com-pound type but no search can be refinedmdashin order torefine a search one must re-enter all plant informationagain
The lsquolsquoCompound Typersquorsquo field is a long and confus-ing-looking list I found a lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo category (10hits) and a lsquolsquoflavonoidsrsquorsquo category (1 hit) There were21 flavonoid subcategories but they unfortunately donot all fall within the general lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo categoryThe additional subcategories could be very helpful butit apparently means that 23 searches would have to beperformed to be sure you are getting all the flavonoidinformation for a plantmdashand each time the plant namewould have to be re-entered The alkaloid subdivisionsfar outnumber the flavonoid subdivisions In a wordcumbersome Another strange detail is the fact thatmost of the journal names are abbreviatedmdashand notabbreviated consistently I saw no reason for not in-cluding the whole journal name I foundlsquolsquoJEthnopharmacologyrsquorsquo (1 hit) and JEthnopharmacol(2 hits) in the drop-down menu and the searchlsquolsquojethnorsquorsquo returned all 3 hits while lsquolsquoJournal of Eth-nopharmacologyrsquorsquo returned no hits
One of the beauties of a database like this howeveris the ability to update and change the information Asit comes the database is protected but designerrsquos con-tact information is included for those wishing to cus-tomize their database Of course it also means that theauthors can continue to update the information andwork out the design flaws for future editions Hope-fully they will It would be well worth the effort
KURT ALLERSLEV REYNERTSON
CUNY PLANT SCIENCES
BRONX NY 10468KREYNERTLEHMANCUNYEDU
Medicinal Plants of the World An Illustrated Sci-entific Guide to Important Medicinal Plants andTheir Uses Van Wyk Ben-Erik and MichaelWink 2004 Timber Press Inc The HaseltineBuilding 133 SW Second Ave Suite 450 Port-land OR 97204 480 pp (hardcover) US$ 3995ISBN 0-88192-602-7
Readers may recognize van Wykrsquos name as the au-thor of Peoplersquos Plants A Guide to Useful Plants ofSouthern Africa (review 55(4)580ndash581) This is a dif-
2004] 497BOOK REVIEWS
ferent contribution by him in partnership with anothercollaborator Van Wyk is a professor of botany at theRand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg while Mi-chael Wink is professor of pharmaceutical biology atthe University of Heidelberg
This book is introduced by a Preface Introductionan abbreviated discussion of world medical systems alist of plant parts used in medicines dosage forms useof medicinal plant products active ingredients qualityand safety efficacy of medicinal plant products andregulation of herbal remedies and phytomedicinesFollowing this are the selected 320 species in alpha-betical order For each species there is a half pagecolor photograph or sometimes two to four Text givesthe scientific name selected English common name(s)a description comments on origins parts used thera-peutic category uses and properties preparation anddosage active ingredients pharmacological effectsnotes and status In smaller font at the bottom of eachpage is the Latin name with authority the family andcommon names in up to four other European languag-es Next are discussions of health disorders and me-dicinal plants an overview of secondary metabolitesand their effects and a lsquolsquoQuick guide to commercial-ised medicinal plantsrsquorsquo that includes more than 900species Finally there is a glossary a list of furtherreading and a general index
The photographs themselves are of extremely highquality and many were taken by the authors Otherswere taken by colleagues who are listed at the end ofthe book (pp 479ndash480) In addition to the main spe-cies discussed there are sometimes photographs of re-lated species For example in addition to Zea maysthere is a photo of Secale cereale This grass is illus-trated because rye pollen sometimes comprises up to92 of what is sold as lsquolsquomaize pollenrsquorsquo
This is one more book from Timber Press that addsto their growing roster of dishonest titles While it istrue that the volume contains plants from around theworld it is not a compendium of lsquolsquoMedicinal Plants ofthe Worldrsquorsquo The true nature of the book appears in thehonest subtitle and in the authorsrsquo preface (p 6) Toobad Timber Press no longer uses titles that reflect thecontent of their books
Still the clear emphasis of this book is Europeanplants There is but a smattering of American AfricanAsian and Australian species The correct emphasis iseasily learned from the common names EnglishFrench German Italian and Spanish None are in Por-tuguese perhaps the third most abundantly used Eu-ropean language in the New World lsquolsquoNeemrsquorsquo is thename of East Indian origin for Azadirachta indica inspite of the fact that it has dozens of others in India(cf Watt 1889 Parrotta 2001)
In spite of my negative comments is this a bookthat people should buy Absolutely unreservedly yesAt the price the book is worth it simply for the pho-tographs Add to that the authoritative text and thecompact lsquolsquoquick guidersquorsquo and it is a real bargain
LITERATURE CITED
Watt George 1889 A dictionary of the economicproducts of India Reprinted 1972 by Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehra Dun India (see VolV211ndash221)
Parrotta John A 2001 Healing plants of peninsularIndia CABI Publishing New York NY
DANIEL F AUSTIN
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM
TUCSON AZ 85743DAUSTINDESERTMUSEUMORG
2004] 487BOOK REVIEWS
acters stipe placement and shape veil form and po-sition and flesh qualities) and microscopic characters(spores basidia cystidia and hyphae) most useful formaking determinations Details of how to collectmushrooms and spore prints are provided in a formateasily followed by non-specialists
The taxonomic key is nicely organized and well il-lustrated Each species is accompanied by a photo-graph often showing several specimens from differentangles and aspects The photos lack reference scalesbut dimension ranges for each species are described inthe text The authors use a system of yellow stars torate edibility so that popular edible taxa are clearlydifferentiated from those that are edible only after boil-ing Likewise poisonous mushrooms are rated withskull-and-crossbones signs for rapid distinction be-tween deadly and mildly toxic taxa Local names fortaxa are reported in the key The habitat for each spe-cies is identified but the geographic distribution ismentioned only at the level of the genus perhaps thisis due to the wide geographic potential of many fungusgenera The authors do not include the off-shore Tan-zanian islands of Pemba and Zanzibar (Unguja) soresearchers working there must rely on descriptions oftaxa found in the coastal habitats of the mainland
The ethnomycological component of this book rep-resents a unique and significant contribution to Tan-zanian botany and anthropology including the docu-mentation of oral histories concerning mushroom iden-tification and uses The authors sampled a wide rangeof Tanzanian populations representing over 30 tribalgroups ranging over frac14 of the area of the country Localknowledge about the uses of mushrooms as food andmedicine were recorded as well as potentially harmfulspecies and stories and proverbs (hadithi) involvingmushrooms The authors include a section on indige-nous mushroom cuisine and introduce their own rec-ipes for mushroom dishes that are easily cooked usingtraditional Tanzanian amenities
Tanzanian Mushrooms is potentially useful to awide range of travelers students and researchers Thediscussions of mushroom morphology and ecology areclear and simple enough to aid secondary school teach-ers but are sufficiently detailed to satisfy introductoryuniversity courses on the subject The taxonomic keyis comprehensible to the interested traveler as well asthe trained mycologist The book suffers from someeditorial errors such as misspellings but these are gen-erally minor and do not detract from the informationpresented
I hope that this book is translated into Swahili (orMaa or another local language) to make the infor-mation about mushroom identification and preparationavailable to the people living in rural Tanzania Theauthors themselves note that traditional ecologicalknowledge of fungi is not taught in schools and iseasily lost when families move to a new area (p 41)Beyond its scientific contribution this book has the
potential to reinforce and renew local traditions of my-cological knowledge
LITERATURE CITED
Harkonen M T Saarimaki and L Mwasumbi1995 Edible mushrooms of Tanzania Karstenia 35Suppl1ndash92
SARAH C WALSHAW
DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST LOUIS
ST LOUIS MO 63130-4899
Ancient Wine The Search for the Origins of Vini-culture McGovern Patrick E 2003 PrincetonUniversity Press 41 William Street Princeton NJ08540 xx 1 363 pp (hardcover) US$ 2995 ISBN0-691-07080-6
lsquolsquoThe history of civilization in many ways is thehistory of wine (p 299)rsquorsquo These words appear towardthe bookrsquos end yet they perform a succinct introduc-tion McGovernrsquos great book although not targetedspecifically to botanists presents the archaethnobotanyof our speciesrsquo favorite beverage wonderfully This isa fascinating necessary reading for those interested inviticulturersquos origins and of interest for those focusedon early agriculture and trade Synthesis of diversedata types (performed well here) is difficult yet in-creasingly relevant Although this book isnrsquot authori-tative for grape domestication (instead see McGovernet al 1995) it synthesizes archaeological historicaland ethnobotanical information into a useful interest-ing work a valid endeavor for all important crops(eg Elting and Folsom 1967)
This work being primarily archaeological McGov-ern begins by introducing the evidence for Neolithicwine production leading to prehistoric viticulture andenology (chapters 1ndash4) This portion of the book willinterest ethnobotanists as the evidence confirms earlyhumanndashgrape interactions and includes DNA-basedinformation along with archaeological data not oftenseen in botanical journals A thorough engaging dis-cussion follows of early vinicultural records in ancientEgyptian Levantine Mesopotamian and other OldWorld cultures (chapters 5ndash11) This portion is enjoy-able as McGovern interjects field experiences collab-orations and labwork with the reconstruction of earlyviniculture Indeed the beverage seems to have flowedliberally during the bookrsquos research and compositionMcGovernrsquos appreciation for fruitful collaborationleaps off almost every page as does appreciation forgood wine which seems to have greatly enhanced theformer No potential data source appears untouchedhe includes excavated amphorae hieroglyphics andeven Old Testament passages Winersquos indisputableprominence in history is well-documented no ancient
488 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
culture from McGovernrsquos study area seems to havebeen without the beverage Even more recent culturesof the Levant that prohibit alcohol acknowledge itscompelling appeal to human palates
The book concludes with potential advances in mo-lecular archaeology (chapter 12) that may further il-luminate the winersquos origins This chapter avoids dis-cussing phylogenetic data perhaps owing to the lackof published phylogenies for the Vitaceae (Gerrath etal 2001) A preview of studies in early Chinese viti-culture is discussed and this will be of interest is FarEastern viticulture indigenous
I lack archaeological training therefore Irsquom un-qualified to evaluate that aspect of the work In dis-cussing minor errata below I must clarify that the vol-ume is vinicultural not botanical A reviewing botanistwould serve the bookrsquos interests however The familyVitaceae is misspelled (Vitiaceae [sic] page 7 see alsoHarriman 1999) The book states that variation in wildgrapesrsquo palatability (compared to cultivars) resultsfrom lsquolsquogenetic polymorphism of the plant (page 12)rsquorsquodue to dioecy Genetic polymorphism in populationsor species could produce fruit variation but a poly-morphism is unlikely to produce fruit variation withinone plant More likely palatability in cultivated grapes(compared to wild) is due to artificial selection andclonality (Janick nd) Additionally domesticatedgrapes vary in palatability (Winkler et al 1962) Im-mediately below tremendous fruit diversity in clonalcultivars is noted contradicting the earlier sentimentregarding genetic polymorphism Also stated lsquolsquothegrapevine growing tip consists of a core and anouter epidermal layer comprising different genetic sys-tems (p 13)rsquorsquo These develop from different initialsbut are mitotic genetically identical portions of oneplant In discussing grape seeds McGovern states thatpips are more genetically variable than wood becauseseeds are biparentally derived Although this is tech-nically true one way (pips contain various ploidy-leveltissues) wood varies as much as (sporophytic) embry-os inside seeds ie wood is also derived from twogametes
The eponymous search documented herein is diffi-cult and the book summarizes a tremendous amountof historical cultural archaeological enological andethnobotanical information That McGovern succeededin making such an ambitious project enjoyable to readis to his great credit This book is relevant to thoseinterested in archaethnobotany and will be interestingto many others
LITERATURE CITED
Elting M and M Folsom 1967 The mysteriousgrain Science in search of the origin of corn MEvans New York
Gerrath J M U Posluszny and N G Dengler2001 Primary vascular patterns in the Vitaceae In-
ternational Journal of Plant Sciences 162 (4)729ndash745
Harriman N E 1999 Anti-fertility plants of the Pa-cific (Book Review) Economic Botany 53228ndash229
Janick J nd Origins of fruits and fruit growing Hor-ticultural Reviews 31
McGovern P E S J Fleming and S H Katzeds 1995 The origins and ancient history of wineGordon and Breach Publishers Philadelphia
Winkler A J J A Cook W M Kliewer and LA Lider 1962 General viticulture University ofCalifornia Press Berkeley California
M PATRICK GRIFFITH
RANCHO SANTA ANA BOTANIC GARDEN
CLAREMONT CA 91711MICHAELPATRICKGRIFFITHCGUEDU
Bacillus thuringiensis A Cornerstone of ModernAgriculture Metz Matthew ed 2004 Food Prod-ucts PressHaworth Press Inc 10 Alice StreetBinghamton NY 13904-1580 xxii 1 242 pp (pa-perback) US$ 5995 ISBN 1-56022-109-7
This book is excellent for presenting to its readersa theme of the positive results in articles about the useand impact of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in pest con-trol systems This theme of positive results is presentedin examples of effective and non-effective lsquolsquoresistant-managementrsquorsquo systems it suggests Bt (in pest control)is a candidate to be an important biological agent withproperties of a chemical pesticide (insecticide) Thebook suggests that Bt is environmentally friendly andcost-effective for controlling insects in tropical Asiaand South America suggesting more successful foodproduction from its use for as long as it is effectiveFor example the Diamond Back Moth in Hawaii hasdeveloped resistance to Bt
This information comes to us at a time when weneed to know what to answer to questions about theuse of the Bacillus organism on crops and geneticallymodified into crops Bt is already introduced into ourenvironment and into our food production system
In the preface the editor has written to us that theprimary beneficiaries are lsquolsquostudents scientists and pro-fessionals dealing with pest control environmentalprotection and regulation of transgenetic cropsrsquorsquo Thesecondary beneficiaries are the people in society Weget increased understanding of the risk vs benefits ofthe lsquolsquoinevitable introduction into Integrated Pest Man-agement (IPM) programs in all parts of the worldrsquorsquo
The editor suggested that readers may start with anyof the twelve chapters If we read them all we will beinformed about Risk vs Benefits Development Strat-egies Potential World Food Production and IssuesFacing Scientists Legislators and Consumers I acted
2004] 489BOOK REVIEWS
on his suggestion and starting reading chapters withanswers to my questions How does it work (Insec-ticidal Crystal ProteinsmdashICPs) Is it safe for humans(Yes) Is there evidence of pest resistance (Yes)
The first few chapters answered my questions I readthat Bt has proven to be one of the safest products forpest control in terms of impact on human health1 Btis safe for humans because of the specificity of thekilling agent (ICP) It kills specifically LepidopteraColeoptera Diptera
In the next few articles we can read about crop-specific case studies featuring international cotton pro-duction Case studies about rice potatoes and sugar-cane are interesting and informative There is a seriousdiscussion about the criteria for successful lsquolsquoresistancemanagementrsquorsquo and the importance of preserving theeffectiveness of Bt using these criteria And for thoseof us who would miss them if they were not repre-sented there are articles presenting the result of lab-oratory research For example we may read about theimportance of developing a lsquolsquomore rapid method forevaluation of gene constructsrsquorsquo and about a SyntheticCrystal Protein which may kill insects currently resis-tant to Bt
If you have ever questioned where are the researchresults about the use of Bt-based insecticides and trans-genic crops in our food production system or talkedabout its use with your colleagues you must read thesetwelve articles You will need the comprehensive an-swers provided for the questions about the use of Ba-cillus thuringiensis its potential in world food produc-tion its risks benefits development and resistances-management strategies
HENRY GARCIA-ALVAREZ
INTERNATIONAL AGRI-FORESTRY
DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT
BRYTE CALIFORNIA 95605HHHERBALDCNORG
Pueraria The Genus Pueraria Keung Wing Minged 2002 Medicinal and Aromatic PlantsmdashIndus-trial Profiles Vol 23 Hardman Roland ed Tayloramp Francis 11 New Fetter Lane London EC4P4EE UK xviii 1 290 pp (hardcover) US$ 10995ISBN 0-415-28492-9
1 EDITORrsquoS NOTE But not for non-humans thereis no target specificity All Lepidoptera Coleopteraand Diptera are targets whether lsquolsquofriendlyrsquorsquo or lsquolsquoun-friendlyrsquorsquo In other words all butterflies (includingmonarchs) lady beetles and other native insects arealso targeted Among other recent commentaries onthis topic see Nabhan Gary P 2001 Coming Hometo Eat The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods288 pp W W Norton amp Company ISBN0393020177
The wide recognition of the common names Kudzu(United States) Ge-gen (China) and Kuzu (Japan) bythe average person in these countries reflects the im-portance of the genus Pueraria in both the West andthe East This bookrsquos seventeen chapters although nota comprehensive review for all botanical traditionaluse and other potential topics does contain a verybroad number of scholarly works on the genus Puer-aria Although many topics are covered the main per-spective is from the viewpoint of a pharmacognocistor natural products chemist evaluating the chemistrypharmacological safety and potential as a drug or sci-ence based therapeutic agent In the first chapter L JG van der Maesen summarizes his most recent taxo-nomic revision of the genus Pueraria where he rec-ognizes 15 species It is unclear why many researchershave been slow to incorporate the latest taxonomic andnomenclatural changes by Maesen including contrib-utors to many chapters of this book
Pueraria has been used on a large scale for erosioncontrol fiber starch and as an ingredient in diversityof Traditional Chinese and Kampo medicines Kath-leen Lowneyrsquos final chapter in the book lsquolsquoFriend orFoe Changing cultural definitions of Kudzursquorsquo gives agood analysis of how Kudzu in the 20th century hasgone through an enthusiastic period a disenchantmentperiod and now is in a period of tempered enthusiasmIt would be accurate to summarize the current state ofthe science of the potential health benefits of Kudzu(P montana var lobata or P lobata) and related spe-cies like P mirifica and P tuberosa reviewed in thisvolume as lsquolsquotempered enthusiasmrsquorsquo since most of theevidence is based on chemistry pre-clinical and verysmall clinical trials for specific indications The bookhas brought together in one small volume a summaryof much of the chemistry and pharmacology of Kudzuand related species including the potential benefitsconcerning alcohol abuse hepatoprotection cardiovas-cular function and for estrogen related disorders suchas the possible chemo-preventive effects for estrogenrelated cancers and osteoporosis as well as P tuber-sosa contraceptive efficacy and toxicity
The book also includes some of the diversity of usesin Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese patentmedicines as well as information related to the qualityof TCM and patent medicines In addition the volumeincludes chapters on ethnobotany and economic usesincluding food and fiber products However the eth-nobotany economic botany ecology and plant tax-onomy of Pueraria are covered only briefly in com-parison to the current literature and should be seen asbackground for the main theme of the chemistry andpharmacology of the genus For example botanistswishing to learn whether the fast growing Kudzu isdestroying the plant diversity of the American southwill not find the answer in this book
The treatment of Pueraria chemistry is not compre-hensive but covers the isoflavonoids (the chemical
490 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
class that are the source of most of the reported bio-logical activity) in the most depth This book includeschapters on Pueraria isoflavonoid biosynthesis mam-malian metabolism and specific pharmacological ac-tivities The index is helpful for locating chemicalcompounds and biological activity but ethnobotanistsand economic botanists trying to locate information ontraditional and economic uses will find the index ofalmost no value This volume contains many excellentchapters that will be of most value for university li-braries and natural products researchers interested inthe potential of Pueraria as a science based therapeuticagent
EDWARD M CROOM JRUNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
OXFORD MS 38655EDWARDCROOMINFO
Magnolia The Genus Magnolia Sarker Satyajit Dand Yuji Maruyama eds 2002 Medicinal and Ar-omatic PlantsmdashIndustrial Profiles Vol 28 Hard-man Roland ed Taylor amp Francis 11 New FetterLane London EC4P 4EE UK xii 1 187 pp(hardcover) US$ 12995 ISBN 0-415-28494-5
For many botanists in the West the chemistry andbiological activity of the genus Magnolia remains to-tally unknown even though it was used by NativeAmericans and others in the Southeastern UnitedStates However in Traditional Chinese Medicine andTCMrsquos close Japanese cousin Kampo medicine Mag-nolia is well known as an ingredient in formulas totreat many illnesses The beauty of this book residesin the clarity and logical organization that make learn-ing about the traditional uses phytochemistry biolog-ical activity and pharmacology as well as quality con-trol and native distribution and cultivation of Magnoliaspecies a pleasant educational adventure The verythorough index is also so well organized that one canfind selected topics concerning individual species orspecific biological activities in an instant
This book is so good a compilation of the currentknowledge concerning the health related informationon the genus Magnolia that it is simply elegant I rec-ommend this book for anyone who is interested inMagnolia as a therapeutic agent Both the editors andthe authors are to be commended for their intelligentand thoughtful contribution to the scientific literatureThis volume could serve as a model for any of us onhow to edit and write a concise reference work
EDWARD M CROOM JRUNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
OXFORD MS 38655EDWARDCROOMINFO
Flora of China Vol 6 Caryophyllaceae throughLardizabalaceae Wu Zheng-yi Peter H Ravenet al eds 2002 Science Press 16 Donghuang-chenggen North Street Beijing 100717 China andMissouri Botanical Garden Press 4344 ShawBlvd St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 512 pp(hardcover) US$ 10000 ISBN 0-915279-05-9
The Flora of China (FOC) series is an up-to-dateEnglish-language revision of the Flora Republicae Po-pularis Sinicae (FRPS) Once completed the approx-imately 30 000 species of native naturalized and ex-otic economically important vascular plants found inChina will be described in 24 volumes (including a25th supplementary volume containing a cumulativeindex for all the volumes) This revision continues asan important endeavor because the rich flora of Chinahas contributed many economically important speciesincluding those used for food medicine and ornamen-tal purposes
FOC organizes the sequence of families by a mod-ified Englerian system Dichotomous keys throughspecies level and in some cases infraspecies followfamily descriptions Care has been taken to list syno-nyms only after they are checked to be correctly iden-tified and used in other major East Asian floras andwith the author names and bibliographical citation forbasionyms and author names only for synonyms
All the FOC volumes conveniently include four in-dexes 1) Chinese character names sorted by brushstrokes 2) transliteration of Chinese names sorted byHanyu Pinyin 3) scientific names and 4) an index tofamilies in the FOC and FRPS volumes A large mapof China delimiting its provinces and adjacent coun-tries is provided as endpapers
A note regarding the value of having the pinyin in-dex In my research with Vietnamese food plantsmany species introduced by the Chinese not only toVietnam but also to other areas of the United Statesthat is home to large Chinese and Vietnamese popu-lations are known locally by the pinyin name as wellas the Vietnamese name Therefore knowledge of bothcan facilitate identification to the Latin binomial
My original complaint with the flora was the priceof each volume I have since learned it is possible tobuy volume pairs (Text and Illustrations) at a reducedrate of $15000pair That is still expensive but an in-telligent investment for a handsome and valuable in-clusion to the library of any student of the plants ofChina and Asia as well as others interested in florist-ics systematics plant distributions and economic bot-any
FOC Vol 6 treats the Caryophyllaceae (30 genera390 species) Nelumbonaceae (1 species) Nympha-ceae (3 genera 8 species) Cabombaceae (2 genera 2species) Ceratophyllaceae (1 genera 3 species) Eup-teleaceae (1 species) Trochodendraceae (1 species)Tetracentraceae (1 species) Cercidiphyllaceae (1 spe-
2004] 491BOOK REVIEWS
cies) Paeoniaceae (1 genus 15 species) Ranuncula-ceae (38 genera 921 species) Circaeasteraceae (1 spe-cies) and Lardizabalaceae (7 genera 37 species) ofthe 1382 taxa included 60 represented by 8 generaand 832 species are endemic to China
FOC Vol 6 includes nomenclatural novelties in thegenera Anemone Arenaria Clematis and Delphinium
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 6 Caryophylla-ceae through Lardizabalaceae Wu Zheng-yi Pe-ter H Raven et al eds 2003 Science Press 16Donghuangchenggen North Street Beijing 100717China and Missouri Botanical Garden Press POBox 299 St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 446 pp(hardcover) US$ 11500 ISBN 1-930723-25-3
The publication of separate texts and illustrationsvolumes has facilitated the production of richly de-tailed beautiful books These books will be a treasureto those that appreciate beautiful yet accurately de-tailed botanical illustrations The arrangement of illus-trations follows the sequence of taxa represented in thecorresponding text volumes Each taxon is presentedwith its identifying morphological features (flowersfruits leaves etc) However the primary downfall isthe absence of measurements or scales Instead mea-surements for each of the particular parts (flowersfruits leaves etc) are only provided in the taxon de-scriptions in the corresponding text volumes The nu-merous plant parts drawn to different scales on a singlepage further complicate this Therefore though the il-lustrations are excellent without the accompanyingtext their purchase is an aesthetic luxury
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 6 accompanies theFOC Vol 6 published in 2001 The illustrations vol-ume includes 420 figures covering 858 species (thekeys text treats 1382 species) represented in the Car-yophyllaceae (229 species) Nelumbonaceae (1 spe-cies) Nymphaceae (3 species) Cabombaceae (1 spe-cies) Ceratophyllaceae (3 species) Eupteleaceae (1species) Trochodendraceae (1 species) Cercidiphyl-laceae (1 species) Paeoniaceae (12 species) Ranun-culaceae (539 species) Circaeasteraceae (1 species)and Lardizabalaceae (14 species) Tetracentraceaetreated in the text FOC is not illustrated
Flora of China Vol 9 Pittosporaceae through Con-naraceae Wu Zheng-yi Peter H Raven et al eds2003 Science Press 16 DonghuangchenggenNorth Street Beijing 100717 China and MissouriBotanical Garden Press PO Box 299 St LouisMO 63166-0299 xii 1 496 pp (hardcover) US$10000 ISBN 1-930723-14-8
Flora of China (FOC) Vol 9 treats the families Pit-tosporaceae (1 genus 46 species) Hamamelidaceae(18 genera 74 species) Eucommiaceae (1 species)Platanaceae (1 genus 3 species) Rosaceae (55 genera950 species) and Connaraceae (6 genera 9 species)of which 59 are endemic to China
FOC Vol 9 includes nomenclatural novelties in thegenera Cerasus Cotoneaster Crataegus Malus Pa-dus Rosa and Rubus
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 24 Flagellari-aceae through Marantaceae Wu Zheng-yi PeterH Raven et al eds 2002 Science Press 16Donghuangchenggen North Street Beijing 100717China and Missouri Botanical Garden Press POBox 299 St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 449 pp(hardcover) US$ 11500 ISBN 0-930723-00-8
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 24 accompaniesthe FOC Vol 24 published in 2000 which treated1335 species The Vol 24 Illustrations includes 423figures representing 782 species in the Flagellariaceae(1 species) Restionaceae (1 species) Centrolepidaceae(1 species) Xyridaceae (4 species) Eriocaulaceae (19species) Bromeliaceae (3 species) Commelinaceae(34 species) Pontederiaceae (4 species) Philydraceae(1 species) Juncaceae (65 species) Stemonaceae (3species) Liliaceae (430 species) Amaryllidaceae (16species) Taccaceae (6 species) Dioscoreaceae (41 spe-cies) Iridaceae (53 species) Musaceae (6 species)Lowiaceae (1 species) Costaceae (3 species) Zingi-beraceae (53 species) Cannaceae (3 species) and Mar-antaceae (6 species)
MY LIEN T NGUYEN
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIlsquoI AT MANOA
HONOLULU HI 96822MYLIENHAWAIIEDU
Flora of North America North of Mexico Volume4 Caryophyllidae in part Caryophyllales Part1 (pink order) Editorial Committee 2003 OxfordUniversity Press 198 Madison Avenue New YorkNY 10016 xxiv 1 559 pp (hardcover) $12000ISBN 0-19-517389-9
Since publication of the first two in 1993 each newvolume in the Flora of North America North of Mexicoseries has been eagerly anticipated and fondly receivedby botanists working on the continent Volume 4 Mag-noliophyta Caryophyllidae part 1 is the latest in theseries to be published and is destined like those beforeit to be appreciated by botanists for its authoritative-ness and utility Although this volume is the eighth toappear in the series it is only the second (out of a
492 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
projected nineteen) published that deals with dicoty-ledonous families the others to date have focused onfern gymnosperm and monocot taxa It is the first oftwo to deal with the Caryophyllidae and covers tenfamilies included within the order CaryophyllalesPhytolaccaceae Achatocarpaceae Nyctaginaceae Ai-zoaceae Cactaceae Chenopodiaceae AmaranthaceaePortulacaceae Basellaceae and Molluginaceae Cov-erage of these families totals 124 genera and 892 spe-cies
The largest portion of Volume 4 is devoted to theCactaceae accordingly it is a must for those workingin arid parts of North America where member taxapredominate However families such as the Cheno-podiaceae Amaranthaceae and Portulacaceae alsoconstitute a significant portion of the publication andthe widespread distribution of these families acrossNorth America makes the volume invaluable else-where Moreover in keeping with the precedent set byother volumes in the series short but highly informa-tive accounts of each family precede taxonomic treat-ments This arrangement ensures that although partic-ular keys might not prove immediately useful for bot-anists each volume is nevertheless indispensable forthe authoritative summaries provided
For the economic botanist there are many genera ofinterest included From the Cactaceae for examplethere are Carnegiea (saguaro) Lophophora (peyote)Nopalea (nopal) and Opuntia (pricklypear) The Por-tulacaceae includes treatments of Claytonia (spring-beauty) Lewisia Montia and Portulaca (purslane)From the Phytolaccaceae is the genus Phytolacca(pokeweed) And then there are Celosia (cockscomb)and Amaranthus (pigweed amaranth) from the Amar-anthaceae When one finally includes a few of themany species from the Chenopodiaceae that are of eco-nomic importancemdasheg Atriplex (orach saltbush)Beta (beet chard) Chenopodium (goosefoot lambrsquos-quarters quinoa) Kochia Salsola (Russian thistletumbleweed) Sarcobatus (greasewood) Spinacia(spinach) Suaeda (sea-blite)mdashVolume 4 appears as atruly essential reference for botanists and plantsmenworking in North America
As I stated in an earlier review (see Economic Bot-any 54(4)655) I feel a principal fault with the seriesif there is to be one is that there are far too few illus-trations accompanying the text Given the exceptionalquality of those illustrations that are included thisproves to be a persistently disappointing feature in anotherwise flawless series While the botanical descrip-tions included in each volume are certainly clear andconcise the old adage that lsquolsquoa picture speaks a thou-sand wordsrsquorsquo is indeed appropriate here This saidthere are few criticisms to make with regard to thecontent of each volume and this one is no exceptionIt is with eager anticipation then that botanists likemyself will undoubtedly be awaiting the next in theseries to appear
ERIC P BURKHART
SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
EPB6PSUEDU
De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes CD-ROM Fuchs Leonard 1542 Octavo Edition 134Linden Street Oakland CA 94607-2538 US$3000 ISBN 1-59110-051-8
Botanists of all persuasions should allow themselvesthe pleasure of thumbing through Fuchsrsquo herbal Thisherbal is a beautiful scholarly and scientific piece ofbotanical and medical history Fuchs wrote at the timewhen economic botany was an essential component ofmedicine and gardeners raised remedies He used thisbook to take lsquolsquoherbalsrsquorsquo out of the dark ages and intothe Renaissance synthesizing classical texts medievalherbals and new ideas of naturalism and science Thequality of Fuchsrsquo herbal is cited as one of the majorreasons herbal remedies remained a part of mainstreamGerman medicine in the last 500 years and it is thescholarly forerunner of todayrsquos respected CommissionE reports
Karen Reedsrsquo introductory lsquolsquoCommentaryrsquorsquo gives agreat history of Fuchs the herbal and its historicalcontext Reeds tells of the obstacles Fuchs faced in hisquest to create a new type of herbal the Vienna Codex[a much expanded and corrected version of the herbalin three huge volumes] and how Fuchsrsquo first book re-vealed the dangerous mistakes medieval physiciansand apothecaries were making because of transcriptionmistakes in botanical identifications
Functionally the CD-ROM version offers severaltools and options that make this more than just an in-expensive substitute for the lsquolsquoreal bookrsquorsquo At 1frasl10 thecost of the hardback print version it contains highquality images of the entire book in a large Acrobatpdf file The images of the open book are excellentand so realistically detailed that you can actually seefaint crinkles in the paper and the shadows of text fromthe reverse side of the pages
I do have two complaints with the electronic formatFirst there is a confusing array of lsquolsquopagesrsquorsquo and a falsecursor or mouse move can cause you to lsquolsquojumprsquorsquo to dif-ferent sections unintentionally Itrsquos hard to find actualpage numbers from the original text even though theyare used in the index because you must use [different]Adobe Reader lsquolsquoViewrsquorsquo and lsquolsquoPagersquorsquo numbers Secondlyyou must take time to learn how to navigate the text inAdobe Reader Octavorsquos Visual Guide is clear and com-plete but you have to find it It takes time and practiceto learn the commands so you might want to just printout the instructions until you are comfortable with theformat I do recommend that you take the time how-ever since there are many useful and convenient fea-
2004] 493BOOK REVIEWS
tures For instance you can search the text zoom in ona variety of images or text or use the lsquolsquoPagesrsquorsquo tool tobrowse through all of the pages as thumbnail-sized im-ages The lsquolsquoBookmarksrsquorsquo tool reveals a navigable tableof contents which expand contract or highlight partic-ular entries for your own reference
All in all this edition is a great find that you willappreciate more as you use it and become familiar withthe format As a classic landmark masterpiece in bo-tanical history either the CD or the hardcover versionshould be included in your personal or university li-brary
KAROL CHANDLER-EZELL
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63108KAROLEPIWUSTLEDU
Bacterial Disease Resistance in Plants MolecularBiology and Biotechnological Applications Vid-hyasekaran P 2002 The Haworth Press Inc 10Alice Street Binghamton NY 13904 xiv 1 452pp (paperback) US$ 5995 ISBN 1-56022-925-X
Current through the late 1990s this text by a notedauthority in the field does a remarkable job of cov-ering the complex area of plant resistance to bacterialdisease The book is logically organized into 6 majorchapters Molecular Recognition Processes BetweenPlant and Bacterial Pathogens Host Defense Mecha-nisms The Cell WallmdashThe First Barrier and a Sourceof Defense Signal Molecules Active Oxygen SpeciesInducible Plant Proteins Inducible Secondary Metab-olites and the final chapter is Biological ApplicationsMolecular Manipulation of Bacterial Disease Resis-tance References (over 1700) are contained in a blend-ed comprehensive list at the end of the text by authorThis reviewer noted very few errors in text tables orcharts No chemical structures are in the text other thaninitialed protein sequences
The text represents a thorough summary of the ma-jor findings in the six basic areas of plantsrsquo responsesto bacterial invasion Though a few years out of datethe findings are clearly presented in mostly chronolog-ical fashion and serve as an excellent review of thedevelopment of the entire field The author furthermoreinterjects insightful comments from his long career inthe area These often are calls for additional researchinto poorly understood processes such as tylose accu-mulation and early research on hsr and str gene-en-coded proteins The general area of active oxygen spe-cies lacks a discussion of NO Other shortcomings ofthe test are its lack of sufficient coverage of induciblesecondary metabolites (the term alkaloid is not evenin the index) the roles of Ca11 and calmodulin andthe abbreviated treatment given the jasmonatemeth-yljasmonate induction process
This text can be recommended for the researcherwho is seeking an overview of the entire process Itcan also serve as a very readable introduction to thegraduate student just becoming familiar with the areaIt can be recommended for inclusion in the libraries ofdepartments of plant pathology botanyplant physiol-ogy and plant molecular biology
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Breeding Research on Aromatic and MedicinalPlants Johnson Christopher B and ChlodwigFranz eds 2002 Haworth Herbal Press 10 AliceStreet Binghamton NY 13904-1580 xx 1 435 pp(paperback) US$ 4995 ISBN 0-7890-1973-6
This book was co-published simultaneously as theJournal of Herbs Spices and Medicinal Plants 9 (23 and 4) in 2002 and represents papers presented atthe second international conference on lsquolsquoBreeding Re-search on Medicinal and Aromatic Plantsrsquorsquo held inCrete in July of 2000 It is divided into four majorsections Conventional Breeding Biochemistry Bio-technology Molecular Genetics and Physiology Bio-diversity and Conservation of Medicinal and AromaticPlantsrsquo Resources and Economic Ethical and LegalAspects There is a combined topicauthor index thatlacks a comprehensive inclusion of phytochemicalsThe text contains very few errors and has extensivespecific data inserted in numerous maps graphs andtables The editors have done a fine job of organizinga wide array of topics by numerous authors into par-allel text Chapters contain a summary and key wordsintroduction detailed materials and methods (whereapplicable) results and conclusions Each chapter hasits own references listed which this reviewer prefersover a single composite listing at the end of the text
The plants discussed center heavily on Mediterra-nean species and the regionrsquos cultivars phytopatholog-ical considerations and climatehabitats which maylimit the textrsquos utility to North American conditionsthough on occasion North American cultivars are in-cluded as in Buter and Buterrsquos chapter on Hypericumperforatum L and Keskitalorsquos on Tanacetum vulgareL in Finland
Other interesting chapters that digress from the titleinclude Goeschlrsquos lsquolsquoStakes in the evolutionary raceThe economic value of plants for medicinal applica-tionsrsquorsquo Llewelynrsquos lsquolsquoEuropean Plant Intellectual Prop-ertyrsquorsquo and Padusi et al lsquolsquoChallenges and opportunitiesin enhancing the conservation and use of medicinaland aromatic plantsrsquorsquo
This book can be recommended first and foremost
494 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
to those researchers involved with medicinal plantbreeding in the Mediterranean region It may serve asan additional valuable reference in the libraries of oth-ers interested in solving the present dayrsquos dilemmas ofsupply and standardization of medicinal and aromaticplantsrsquo products especially in light of questions ofconservation and the preservation of genetic diversity
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Gathering Moss A Natural and Cultural History ofMosses Kimmerer Robin Wall 2003 OregonState University Press Corvallis viii 1 168 pp(paperback) US$ 1795 ISBN 0-87071-499-6
Letrsquos face it mosses are not generally considered tobe glamorous plants Introductory biology textbookspresent mosses as examples of (1) the most primitiveof plants transitional between algae and ferns and oth-er pteridophytes and (2) the principle of lsquolsquoalternationof generationsrsquorsquo Once you have read Gathering Mossyour image of this neglected group will be consider-ably broadened
This slim volume consists of a series of 20 briefessays Robin Kimmerer a botanist and the author ofnumerous publications on mosses in The Bryologistand other scientific journals also happens to be of Pot-awatomi heritage She is thus able to combine her sci-entific training and botanical knowledge with the in-digenous lsquolsquoways of knowingrsquorsquo including emotion andspirit as well as mind and body
Most essays begin with a folksy account of someevent in the authorrsquos personal life such as a foray intothe woods with her daughters in the Adirondacks oran interchange between herself and a neighbor In eachcase there is seamlessly woven into her account someaspect of mosses their diversity ecology or physiol-ogy One essay lsquolsquoThe Web of Reciprocity IndigenousUses of Mossrsquorsquo surveys some of the every-day waysthat Native peoples have used mosses
Although not intended as a field guide many ex-cellent pen-and-ink drawings illustrating various spe-cies of mosses are scattered throughout The bibliog-raphy includes references on economic aspects ofmosses as well as those on moss identification
After you read this book I predict that you willnever again think of mosses as insignificant or super-fluous It is hoped that this book Professor Kimmererrsquosfirst will not be her last
THOMAS E HEMMERLY
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
MURFREESBORO TN 37132THEMMERLMTSUEDU
A Global Compendium of Weeds Randall R P2002 R G amp F J Richardson PO Box 42 Mer-edith Victoria 3333 Australia distributed by Mis-souri Botanical Garden Press PO Box 299 StLouis MO 63166 wwwmbgpresscom xxxii 1905 pp (hardcover) US$ 99 1 shipping amp han-dling ISBN 0-9587439-8-3
The source material of this lsquolsquoencyclopediarsquorsquo is everybook pamphlet journal article personal communica-tion and website the author could find There are near-ly 300 of these listed in Table 1 pages viiindashxxvii Theyare arbitrarily numbered 1ndash300 in no discernible pat-tern with a half dozen lsquolsquovacantrsquorsquo These are highlyvariable in their quality obviously We have for ex-ample Royer and Dickinson 1999 lsquolsquoWeeds of Canadaand the Northern United Statesrsquorsquo a scholarly workNumber 299 on the list but also Number 281 on thelist lsquolsquoPrincipales Malezas de Centro America y El Ca-ribe Controladas con Rounduprsquorsquo So far as I know thisherbicide kills every plant it touches so this referenceis surely not a critical source of information But forgood or ill there it is make of it what you will
Randall is quite aware that websites (abundantly cit-ed) come and go and he warns the reader accordinglyIt is characteristic of the approach this book takes thathe also tells the reader how to do a Google search
Therersquos a striking picture on the cover It looks likesome kind of lsquolsquocreature from the Black Lagoonrsquorsquo It isin fact Lavandula stoechas (Lamiaceae) and it is re-peated on the title page There are two other illustra-tions Phalaris aquatica (Poaceae) on xxxi and Pa-paver somniferum on p 761 These images are iden-tified on the back of the title page but not particular-ized as to page number
The body of the text is an alphabetical listing byscientific names with abundant synonymy and crossreferences with associated family name and some-times more than one family name when the expertsdonrsquot agree An unusual and most helpful feature is thecitation of common names in what appear to be dozensof languages rendered into Roman script For exam-ple under Alopecurus aequalis (Poaceae) we havelsquoshort-awned foxtailrsquo lsquoorange foxtail lsquomarsh foxtailrsquoand lsquorantapuntarpaarsquo I have no idea what languagethat last one is transcribed from and thatrsquos preciselywhat will make this book so useful to botanists of allstripes here at last is a source to look up obscure com-mon names Most helpfully all names are included inan exhaustive alphabetical index pp 763ndash905
As is typical of books on weeds this one offers nodefinition of the term If somebody somewhere forsome reason called it a lsquolsquoweedrsquorsquo then itrsquos here As aresult specialists will wonder at the inclusion of somenames but I doubt he has made any significant exclu-sions He claims there are 20 672 entries of scientific
2004] 495BOOK REVIEWS
names and 27 108 common names and I believe himHis sources of information for each entry are given bythe arbitrary numbering system mentioned above
The previous lsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo on weeds wasHolm et al lsquolsquoA Geographical Atlas of World Weedsrsquorsquo1979 with a reprint edition in 1991 it listed 6400species Randallrsquos book bids fair to become the newlsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
Wheat Ecology and Physiology of Yield Determi-nation Satorre Emilio H and Gustavo A Slafereds 1999 Food Products Press an imprint of TheHaworth Press Inc 10 Alice Street BinghamtonNY 13904 xx 1 503 pp (paperback) US$ 125(hardcover) US$ 5995 (paperback) ISBN1-56022-874-1 (hardcover) ISBN 1-56022-875-X(paperback printing 2000)
The editors have marshaled experts from around theworld to write 19 chapters on improving wheat yieldsThese are organized into four parts Wheat PhysiologyWheat Ecology Wheat Production Systems andBreeding to Further Raise Wheat Yields The result isa kind of updated textbook on agronomy of cultivatedwheat There is nothing on the evolution of the speciesunder the hand of mankindmdashthatrsquos not the intent
There is an enormous investigational base for awork of this kind because wheat is the most widelygrown crop in the world approximately one-sixth ofthe worldrsquos total arable land is cultivated with wheatAs evidence of how vast the literature is one needonly look at the references cited at the end of eachchaptermdashI was struck by the fact that all cited papersand books are in English with no hint of anything inFrench German Russian or Spanish
The editors included their own introductory chapterwherein they point out that there are over 300 000plant species but only 24 of these are used as cropsto satisfy most human requirements for food and fiberFor the first 50 years of the twentieth century yieldsincreased dramatically because more and more landwas brought into production but yields per hectarewere essentially flat Dramatic increases in yield perhectare came about with large increases in researchbut for the last decade or so yields have leveled offeven as human populations have continued to growdramatically The contributing authors have all pointedout where more information is needed and the bookis probably already being used to shape future researchprograms
This is not a symposium volume and the editors areto be congratulated for having taken the time to com-
pile an extensive author index as well as a thoroughsubject index As a result one can find (for example)where antibiosis and antixenosis are covered in thebook not to mention lsquolsquochromosome engineeringrsquorsquo andlsquolsquoslugsrsquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
North American Wildland Plants A Field GuideStubbendieck James Stephan L Hatch and L MLandholt 2003 University of Nebraska Press 233North 8th Street Lincoln Nebraska xiv 1 501 pp(paperback) US$ 3000 ISBN 0-8032-9306-2
This new volume the sixth edition of North Amer-ican Range Plants (Stubbendieck 1986) is a welcomeaddition to the bookshelf of any rangeland ecologist ornatural resource specialist Focusing primarily onplants of the Great Plains the book describes about200 common rangeland plants The taxonomic layoutis organized into four classifications grasses (whichmake up about half the taxa) grass-like plants forbsand woody plants Distribution maps vernacular andscientific names habit descriptions and detailed leaffloral and fruit characteristics are included in the neat-ly arranged text Additional plant information includ-ing historic uses value as forage for livestock andgeneral habitat greatly increase the bookrsquos potentialappeal
Beautifully drawn illustrations with details and ex-planations of particularly significant morphologicalstructures are presented alongside the species descrip-tions for easy cross-reference in the field Illustratedglossaries near the front of the book provide a conciseand comprehensive background for those less familiarwith technical terminology The book also contains atext-only glossary and an authorities section that de-tails the authorrsquos citations
All in all it is a thorough painstakingly researchedbook of proven valuemdashhence the many editions Thatraises the question lsquolsquoWhy change the title after allthese yearsrsquorsquo
LITERATURE CITED
Stubbendieck J S L Hatch and K J Hirsch1986 North American range plants 5th ed Uni-versity of Nebraska Press Lincoln NE
GREGORY GUST
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
PO BOX 299ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63166-0299
496 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
PhytoChem Australia A Database on AustralianPlant Chemistry 1940ndash2000 [CD-ROM] CollinsD J and C C J Culvenor 2003 CSIRO Pub-lishing PO Box 1139 URL wwwpublishcsiroau Collingwood Vic 3066 Australia AU$29500 ISBN 0643066322
As scientists we use databases on a daily basis tosort data and locate references We also occasionallyconstruct our own databases to help solve researchproblems Large cross-referenced books indices andcyclopedias were the original databases but PCs andnew software have made the database more availableand more useful the Internet has also made many ofthese databases accessible on-line
In natural products chemistry the study of theknown chemical composition of a plant begins withdatabase reference searches There are some searchabledatabases like NAPRALERT that are incredibly com-prehensive and constantly updatedmdashbut expensive fora well-researched plant Chemical Abstracts BiosisMedline and the various academic journal databasesall index differently and to get a comprehensiveknowledge of the previous phytochemical work on agiven plant several searches in many databases are re-quired None of these databases are perfect There alsoremain many professional journals not indexed bythese databases which tend to have an American orEuropean slant The PhytoChem Australia CD-ROMhas been released to fill this void as a useful tool forfinding phytochemical information and references onAustralian plants It is intended for those investigatinglsquolsquoagriculture pharmacy toxicology and Aboriginalstudiesrsquorsquo and contains over 2700 references publishedbetween 1940 and 2000 For anyone searching for phy-tochemical information on a plant known to be Aus-tralian in origin this will likely be an indispensabledatabase for references Those working on plants thatare pantropical may also find this database useful inthat many Australian journals not indexed by other da-tabases are included In addition to the ability to searchby family genus or species the authors have includedPDF files with the complete bibliography as well asauthor and plant indices
A functional database is much more than a compi-lation of information however and to be useful itmust transcend the collection of information to provideeasy access We are accustomed to very lsquolsquoclickablersquorsquowebsites and databases that are easy to use so anydatabase entering this arena must be as user-friendlyas possible I found some of the search mechanismssomewhat awkward and the instructions a bit lackingThe drop-down menus for a species will only appearif a genus is selected and likewise the genus drop-down menu will only operate if a family is selectedWhile this isnrsquot a serious problem if you are unsureof a family relationship or the correct spelling you arenot given any help in locating information This is
made more frustrating by the fact that you must alwayschoose lsquolsquoHigher Plantsrsquorsquo from the Plant Type in orderto get a family list I couldnrsquot see the utility of thisfield Among the Algae Bacteria Fungi and Lichencategories there were only 63 total families added tothe database A simpler design would allow the useraccess to drop-down menus without having selected ahigher taxonomic level Search results can be sortedby date or publication but not by author or title Onecan also search the database by compound and com-pound type but no search can be refinedmdashin order torefine a search one must re-enter all plant informationagain
The lsquolsquoCompound Typersquorsquo field is a long and confus-ing-looking list I found a lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo category (10hits) and a lsquolsquoflavonoidsrsquorsquo category (1 hit) There were21 flavonoid subcategories but they unfortunately donot all fall within the general lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo categoryThe additional subcategories could be very helpful butit apparently means that 23 searches would have to beperformed to be sure you are getting all the flavonoidinformation for a plantmdashand each time the plant namewould have to be re-entered The alkaloid subdivisionsfar outnumber the flavonoid subdivisions In a wordcumbersome Another strange detail is the fact thatmost of the journal names are abbreviatedmdashand notabbreviated consistently I saw no reason for not in-cluding the whole journal name I foundlsquolsquoJEthnopharmacologyrsquorsquo (1 hit) and JEthnopharmacol(2 hits) in the drop-down menu and the searchlsquolsquojethnorsquorsquo returned all 3 hits while lsquolsquoJournal of Eth-nopharmacologyrsquorsquo returned no hits
One of the beauties of a database like this howeveris the ability to update and change the information Asit comes the database is protected but designerrsquos con-tact information is included for those wishing to cus-tomize their database Of course it also means that theauthors can continue to update the information andwork out the design flaws for future editions Hope-fully they will It would be well worth the effort
KURT ALLERSLEV REYNERTSON
CUNY PLANT SCIENCES
BRONX NY 10468KREYNERTLEHMANCUNYEDU
Medicinal Plants of the World An Illustrated Sci-entific Guide to Important Medicinal Plants andTheir Uses Van Wyk Ben-Erik and MichaelWink 2004 Timber Press Inc The HaseltineBuilding 133 SW Second Ave Suite 450 Port-land OR 97204 480 pp (hardcover) US$ 3995ISBN 0-88192-602-7
Readers may recognize van Wykrsquos name as the au-thor of Peoplersquos Plants A Guide to Useful Plants ofSouthern Africa (review 55(4)580ndash581) This is a dif-
2004] 497BOOK REVIEWS
ferent contribution by him in partnership with anothercollaborator Van Wyk is a professor of botany at theRand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg while Mi-chael Wink is professor of pharmaceutical biology atthe University of Heidelberg
This book is introduced by a Preface Introductionan abbreviated discussion of world medical systems alist of plant parts used in medicines dosage forms useof medicinal plant products active ingredients qualityand safety efficacy of medicinal plant products andregulation of herbal remedies and phytomedicinesFollowing this are the selected 320 species in alpha-betical order For each species there is a half pagecolor photograph or sometimes two to four Text givesthe scientific name selected English common name(s)a description comments on origins parts used thera-peutic category uses and properties preparation anddosage active ingredients pharmacological effectsnotes and status In smaller font at the bottom of eachpage is the Latin name with authority the family andcommon names in up to four other European languag-es Next are discussions of health disorders and me-dicinal plants an overview of secondary metabolitesand their effects and a lsquolsquoQuick guide to commercial-ised medicinal plantsrsquorsquo that includes more than 900species Finally there is a glossary a list of furtherreading and a general index
The photographs themselves are of extremely highquality and many were taken by the authors Otherswere taken by colleagues who are listed at the end ofthe book (pp 479ndash480) In addition to the main spe-cies discussed there are sometimes photographs of re-lated species For example in addition to Zea maysthere is a photo of Secale cereale This grass is illus-trated because rye pollen sometimes comprises up to92 of what is sold as lsquolsquomaize pollenrsquorsquo
This is one more book from Timber Press that addsto their growing roster of dishonest titles While it istrue that the volume contains plants from around theworld it is not a compendium of lsquolsquoMedicinal Plants ofthe Worldrsquorsquo The true nature of the book appears in thehonest subtitle and in the authorsrsquo preface (p 6) Toobad Timber Press no longer uses titles that reflect thecontent of their books
Still the clear emphasis of this book is Europeanplants There is but a smattering of American AfricanAsian and Australian species The correct emphasis iseasily learned from the common names EnglishFrench German Italian and Spanish None are in Por-tuguese perhaps the third most abundantly used Eu-ropean language in the New World lsquolsquoNeemrsquorsquo is thename of East Indian origin for Azadirachta indica inspite of the fact that it has dozens of others in India(cf Watt 1889 Parrotta 2001)
In spite of my negative comments is this a bookthat people should buy Absolutely unreservedly yesAt the price the book is worth it simply for the pho-tographs Add to that the authoritative text and thecompact lsquolsquoquick guidersquorsquo and it is a real bargain
LITERATURE CITED
Watt George 1889 A dictionary of the economicproducts of India Reprinted 1972 by Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehra Dun India (see VolV211ndash221)
Parrotta John A 2001 Healing plants of peninsularIndia CABI Publishing New York NY
DANIEL F AUSTIN
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM
TUCSON AZ 85743DAUSTINDESERTMUSEUMORG
488 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
culture from McGovernrsquos study area seems to havebeen without the beverage Even more recent culturesof the Levant that prohibit alcohol acknowledge itscompelling appeal to human palates
The book concludes with potential advances in mo-lecular archaeology (chapter 12) that may further il-luminate the winersquos origins This chapter avoids dis-cussing phylogenetic data perhaps owing to the lackof published phylogenies for the Vitaceae (Gerrath etal 2001) A preview of studies in early Chinese viti-culture is discussed and this will be of interest is FarEastern viticulture indigenous
I lack archaeological training therefore Irsquom un-qualified to evaluate that aspect of the work In dis-cussing minor errata below I must clarify that the vol-ume is vinicultural not botanical A reviewing botanistwould serve the bookrsquos interests however The familyVitaceae is misspelled (Vitiaceae [sic] page 7 see alsoHarriman 1999) The book states that variation in wildgrapesrsquo palatability (compared to cultivars) resultsfrom lsquolsquogenetic polymorphism of the plant (page 12)rsquorsquodue to dioecy Genetic polymorphism in populationsor species could produce fruit variation but a poly-morphism is unlikely to produce fruit variation withinone plant More likely palatability in cultivated grapes(compared to wild) is due to artificial selection andclonality (Janick nd) Additionally domesticatedgrapes vary in palatability (Winkler et al 1962) Im-mediately below tremendous fruit diversity in clonalcultivars is noted contradicting the earlier sentimentregarding genetic polymorphism Also stated lsquolsquothegrapevine growing tip consists of a core and anouter epidermal layer comprising different genetic sys-tems (p 13)rsquorsquo These develop from different initialsbut are mitotic genetically identical portions of oneplant In discussing grape seeds McGovern states thatpips are more genetically variable than wood becauseseeds are biparentally derived Although this is tech-nically true one way (pips contain various ploidy-leveltissues) wood varies as much as (sporophytic) embry-os inside seeds ie wood is also derived from twogametes
The eponymous search documented herein is diffi-cult and the book summarizes a tremendous amountof historical cultural archaeological enological andethnobotanical information That McGovern succeededin making such an ambitious project enjoyable to readis to his great credit This book is relevant to thoseinterested in archaethnobotany and will be interestingto many others
LITERATURE CITED
Elting M and M Folsom 1967 The mysteriousgrain Science in search of the origin of corn MEvans New York
Gerrath J M U Posluszny and N G Dengler2001 Primary vascular patterns in the Vitaceae In-
ternational Journal of Plant Sciences 162 (4)729ndash745
Harriman N E 1999 Anti-fertility plants of the Pa-cific (Book Review) Economic Botany 53228ndash229
Janick J nd Origins of fruits and fruit growing Hor-ticultural Reviews 31
McGovern P E S J Fleming and S H Katzeds 1995 The origins and ancient history of wineGordon and Breach Publishers Philadelphia
Winkler A J J A Cook W M Kliewer and LA Lider 1962 General viticulture University ofCalifornia Press Berkeley California
M PATRICK GRIFFITH
RANCHO SANTA ANA BOTANIC GARDEN
CLAREMONT CA 91711MICHAELPATRICKGRIFFITHCGUEDU
Bacillus thuringiensis A Cornerstone of ModernAgriculture Metz Matthew ed 2004 Food Prod-ucts PressHaworth Press Inc 10 Alice StreetBinghamton NY 13904-1580 xxii 1 242 pp (pa-perback) US$ 5995 ISBN 1-56022-109-7
This book is excellent for presenting to its readersa theme of the positive results in articles about the useand impact of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in pest con-trol systems This theme of positive results is presentedin examples of effective and non-effective lsquolsquoresistant-managementrsquorsquo systems it suggests Bt (in pest control)is a candidate to be an important biological agent withproperties of a chemical pesticide (insecticide) Thebook suggests that Bt is environmentally friendly andcost-effective for controlling insects in tropical Asiaand South America suggesting more successful foodproduction from its use for as long as it is effectiveFor example the Diamond Back Moth in Hawaii hasdeveloped resistance to Bt
This information comes to us at a time when weneed to know what to answer to questions about theuse of the Bacillus organism on crops and geneticallymodified into crops Bt is already introduced into ourenvironment and into our food production system
In the preface the editor has written to us that theprimary beneficiaries are lsquolsquostudents scientists and pro-fessionals dealing with pest control environmentalprotection and regulation of transgenetic cropsrsquorsquo Thesecondary beneficiaries are the people in society Weget increased understanding of the risk vs benefits ofthe lsquolsquoinevitable introduction into Integrated Pest Man-agement (IPM) programs in all parts of the worldrsquorsquo
The editor suggested that readers may start with anyof the twelve chapters If we read them all we will beinformed about Risk vs Benefits Development Strat-egies Potential World Food Production and IssuesFacing Scientists Legislators and Consumers I acted
2004] 489BOOK REVIEWS
on his suggestion and starting reading chapters withanswers to my questions How does it work (Insec-ticidal Crystal ProteinsmdashICPs) Is it safe for humans(Yes) Is there evidence of pest resistance (Yes)
The first few chapters answered my questions I readthat Bt has proven to be one of the safest products forpest control in terms of impact on human health1 Btis safe for humans because of the specificity of thekilling agent (ICP) It kills specifically LepidopteraColeoptera Diptera
In the next few articles we can read about crop-specific case studies featuring international cotton pro-duction Case studies about rice potatoes and sugar-cane are interesting and informative There is a seriousdiscussion about the criteria for successful lsquolsquoresistancemanagementrsquorsquo and the importance of preserving theeffectiveness of Bt using these criteria And for thoseof us who would miss them if they were not repre-sented there are articles presenting the result of lab-oratory research For example we may read about theimportance of developing a lsquolsquomore rapid method forevaluation of gene constructsrsquorsquo and about a SyntheticCrystal Protein which may kill insects currently resis-tant to Bt
If you have ever questioned where are the researchresults about the use of Bt-based insecticides and trans-genic crops in our food production system or talkedabout its use with your colleagues you must read thesetwelve articles You will need the comprehensive an-swers provided for the questions about the use of Ba-cillus thuringiensis its potential in world food produc-tion its risks benefits development and resistances-management strategies
HENRY GARCIA-ALVAREZ
INTERNATIONAL AGRI-FORESTRY
DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT
BRYTE CALIFORNIA 95605HHHERBALDCNORG
Pueraria The Genus Pueraria Keung Wing Minged 2002 Medicinal and Aromatic PlantsmdashIndus-trial Profiles Vol 23 Hardman Roland ed Tayloramp Francis 11 New Fetter Lane London EC4P4EE UK xviii 1 290 pp (hardcover) US$ 10995ISBN 0-415-28492-9
1 EDITORrsquoS NOTE But not for non-humans thereis no target specificity All Lepidoptera Coleopteraand Diptera are targets whether lsquolsquofriendlyrsquorsquo or lsquolsquoun-friendlyrsquorsquo In other words all butterflies (includingmonarchs) lady beetles and other native insects arealso targeted Among other recent commentaries onthis topic see Nabhan Gary P 2001 Coming Hometo Eat The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods288 pp W W Norton amp Company ISBN0393020177
The wide recognition of the common names Kudzu(United States) Ge-gen (China) and Kuzu (Japan) bythe average person in these countries reflects the im-portance of the genus Pueraria in both the West andthe East This bookrsquos seventeen chapters although nota comprehensive review for all botanical traditionaluse and other potential topics does contain a verybroad number of scholarly works on the genus Puer-aria Although many topics are covered the main per-spective is from the viewpoint of a pharmacognocistor natural products chemist evaluating the chemistrypharmacological safety and potential as a drug or sci-ence based therapeutic agent In the first chapter L JG van der Maesen summarizes his most recent taxo-nomic revision of the genus Pueraria where he rec-ognizes 15 species It is unclear why many researchershave been slow to incorporate the latest taxonomic andnomenclatural changes by Maesen including contrib-utors to many chapters of this book
Pueraria has been used on a large scale for erosioncontrol fiber starch and as an ingredient in diversityof Traditional Chinese and Kampo medicines Kath-leen Lowneyrsquos final chapter in the book lsquolsquoFriend orFoe Changing cultural definitions of Kudzursquorsquo gives agood analysis of how Kudzu in the 20th century hasgone through an enthusiastic period a disenchantmentperiod and now is in a period of tempered enthusiasmIt would be accurate to summarize the current state ofthe science of the potential health benefits of Kudzu(P montana var lobata or P lobata) and related spe-cies like P mirifica and P tuberosa reviewed in thisvolume as lsquolsquotempered enthusiasmrsquorsquo since most of theevidence is based on chemistry pre-clinical and verysmall clinical trials for specific indications The bookhas brought together in one small volume a summaryof much of the chemistry and pharmacology of Kudzuand related species including the potential benefitsconcerning alcohol abuse hepatoprotection cardiovas-cular function and for estrogen related disorders suchas the possible chemo-preventive effects for estrogenrelated cancers and osteoporosis as well as P tuber-sosa contraceptive efficacy and toxicity
The book also includes some of the diversity of usesin Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese patentmedicines as well as information related to the qualityof TCM and patent medicines In addition the volumeincludes chapters on ethnobotany and economic usesincluding food and fiber products However the eth-nobotany economic botany ecology and plant tax-onomy of Pueraria are covered only briefly in com-parison to the current literature and should be seen asbackground for the main theme of the chemistry andpharmacology of the genus For example botanistswishing to learn whether the fast growing Kudzu isdestroying the plant diversity of the American southwill not find the answer in this book
The treatment of Pueraria chemistry is not compre-hensive but covers the isoflavonoids (the chemical
490 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
class that are the source of most of the reported bio-logical activity) in the most depth This book includeschapters on Pueraria isoflavonoid biosynthesis mam-malian metabolism and specific pharmacological ac-tivities The index is helpful for locating chemicalcompounds and biological activity but ethnobotanistsand economic botanists trying to locate information ontraditional and economic uses will find the index ofalmost no value This volume contains many excellentchapters that will be of most value for university li-braries and natural products researchers interested inthe potential of Pueraria as a science based therapeuticagent
EDWARD M CROOM JRUNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
OXFORD MS 38655EDWARDCROOMINFO
Magnolia The Genus Magnolia Sarker Satyajit Dand Yuji Maruyama eds 2002 Medicinal and Ar-omatic PlantsmdashIndustrial Profiles Vol 28 Hard-man Roland ed Taylor amp Francis 11 New FetterLane London EC4P 4EE UK xii 1 187 pp(hardcover) US$ 12995 ISBN 0-415-28494-5
For many botanists in the West the chemistry andbiological activity of the genus Magnolia remains to-tally unknown even though it was used by NativeAmericans and others in the Southeastern UnitedStates However in Traditional Chinese Medicine andTCMrsquos close Japanese cousin Kampo medicine Mag-nolia is well known as an ingredient in formulas totreat many illnesses The beauty of this book residesin the clarity and logical organization that make learn-ing about the traditional uses phytochemistry biolog-ical activity and pharmacology as well as quality con-trol and native distribution and cultivation of Magnoliaspecies a pleasant educational adventure The verythorough index is also so well organized that one canfind selected topics concerning individual species orspecific biological activities in an instant
This book is so good a compilation of the currentknowledge concerning the health related informationon the genus Magnolia that it is simply elegant I rec-ommend this book for anyone who is interested inMagnolia as a therapeutic agent Both the editors andthe authors are to be commended for their intelligentand thoughtful contribution to the scientific literatureThis volume could serve as a model for any of us onhow to edit and write a concise reference work
EDWARD M CROOM JRUNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
OXFORD MS 38655EDWARDCROOMINFO
Flora of China Vol 6 Caryophyllaceae throughLardizabalaceae Wu Zheng-yi Peter H Ravenet al eds 2002 Science Press 16 Donghuang-chenggen North Street Beijing 100717 China andMissouri Botanical Garden Press 4344 ShawBlvd St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 512 pp(hardcover) US$ 10000 ISBN 0-915279-05-9
The Flora of China (FOC) series is an up-to-dateEnglish-language revision of the Flora Republicae Po-pularis Sinicae (FRPS) Once completed the approx-imately 30 000 species of native naturalized and ex-otic economically important vascular plants found inChina will be described in 24 volumes (including a25th supplementary volume containing a cumulativeindex for all the volumes) This revision continues asan important endeavor because the rich flora of Chinahas contributed many economically important speciesincluding those used for food medicine and ornamen-tal purposes
FOC organizes the sequence of families by a mod-ified Englerian system Dichotomous keys throughspecies level and in some cases infraspecies followfamily descriptions Care has been taken to list syno-nyms only after they are checked to be correctly iden-tified and used in other major East Asian floras andwith the author names and bibliographical citation forbasionyms and author names only for synonyms
All the FOC volumes conveniently include four in-dexes 1) Chinese character names sorted by brushstrokes 2) transliteration of Chinese names sorted byHanyu Pinyin 3) scientific names and 4) an index tofamilies in the FOC and FRPS volumes A large mapof China delimiting its provinces and adjacent coun-tries is provided as endpapers
A note regarding the value of having the pinyin in-dex In my research with Vietnamese food plantsmany species introduced by the Chinese not only toVietnam but also to other areas of the United Statesthat is home to large Chinese and Vietnamese popu-lations are known locally by the pinyin name as wellas the Vietnamese name Therefore knowledge of bothcan facilitate identification to the Latin binomial
My original complaint with the flora was the priceof each volume I have since learned it is possible tobuy volume pairs (Text and Illustrations) at a reducedrate of $15000pair That is still expensive but an in-telligent investment for a handsome and valuable in-clusion to the library of any student of the plants ofChina and Asia as well as others interested in florist-ics systematics plant distributions and economic bot-any
FOC Vol 6 treats the Caryophyllaceae (30 genera390 species) Nelumbonaceae (1 species) Nympha-ceae (3 genera 8 species) Cabombaceae (2 genera 2species) Ceratophyllaceae (1 genera 3 species) Eup-teleaceae (1 species) Trochodendraceae (1 species)Tetracentraceae (1 species) Cercidiphyllaceae (1 spe-
2004] 491BOOK REVIEWS
cies) Paeoniaceae (1 genus 15 species) Ranuncula-ceae (38 genera 921 species) Circaeasteraceae (1 spe-cies) and Lardizabalaceae (7 genera 37 species) ofthe 1382 taxa included 60 represented by 8 generaand 832 species are endemic to China
FOC Vol 6 includes nomenclatural novelties in thegenera Anemone Arenaria Clematis and Delphinium
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 6 Caryophylla-ceae through Lardizabalaceae Wu Zheng-yi Pe-ter H Raven et al eds 2003 Science Press 16Donghuangchenggen North Street Beijing 100717China and Missouri Botanical Garden Press POBox 299 St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 446 pp(hardcover) US$ 11500 ISBN 1-930723-25-3
The publication of separate texts and illustrationsvolumes has facilitated the production of richly de-tailed beautiful books These books will be a treasureto those that appreciate beautiful yet accurately de-tailed botanical illustrations The arrangement of illus-trations follows the sequence of taxa represented in thecorresponding text volumes Each taxon is presentedwith its identifying morphological features (flowersfruits leaves etc) However the primary downfall isthe absence of measurements or scales Instead mea-surements for each of the particular parts (flowersfruits leaves etc) are only provided in the taxon de-scriptions in the corresponding text volumes The nu-merous plant parts drawn to different scales on a singlepage further complicate this Therefore though the il-lustrations are excellent without the accompanyingtext their purchase is an aesthetic luxury
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 6 accompanies theFOC Vol 6 published in 2001 The illustrations vol-ume includes 420 figures covering 858 species (thekeys text treats 1382 species) represented in the Car-yophyllaceae (229 species) Nelumbonaceae (1 spe-cies) Nymphaceae (3 species) Cabombaceae (1 spe-cies) Ceratophyllaceae (3 species) Eupteleaceae (1species) Trochodendraceae (1 species) Cercidiphyl-laceae (1 species) Paeoniaceae (12 species) Ranun-culaceae (539 species) Circaeasteraceae (1 species)and Lardizabalaceae (14 species) Tetracentraceaetreated in the text FOC is not illustrated
Flora of China Vol 9 Pittosporaceae through Con-naraceae Wu Zheng-yi Peter H Raven et al eds2003 Science Press 16 DonghuangchenggenNorth Street Beijing 100717 China and MissouriBotanical Garden Press PO Box 299 St LouisMO 63166-0299 xii 1 496 pp (hardcover) US$10000 ISBN 1-930723-14-8
Flora of China (FOC) Vol 9 treats the families Pit-tosporaceae (1 genus 46 species) Hamamelidaceae(18 genera 74 species) Eucommiaceae (1 species)Platanaceae (1 genus 3 species) Rosaceae (55 genera950 species) and Connaraceae (6 genera 9 species)of which 59 are endemic to China
FOC Vol 9 includes nomenclatural novelties in thegenera Cerasus Cotoneaster Crataegus Malus Pa-dus Rosa and Rubus
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 24 Flagellari-aceae through Marantaceae Wu Zheng-yi PeterH Raven et al eds 2002 Science Press 16Donghuangchenggen North Street Beijing 100717China and Missouri Botanical Garden Press POBox 299 St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 449 pp(hardcover) US$ 11500 ISBN 0-930723-00-8
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 24 accompaniesthe FOC Vol 24 published in 2000 which treated1335 species The Vol 24 Illustrations includes 423figures representing 782 species in the Flagellariaceae(1 species) Restionaceae (1 species) Centrolepidaceae(1 species) Xyridaceae (4 species) Eriocaulaceae (19species) Bromeliaceae (3 species) Commelinaceae(34 species) Pontederiaceae (4 species) Philydraceae(1 species) Juncaceae (65 species) Stemonaceae (3species) Liliaceae (430 species) Amaryllidaceae (16species) Taccaceae (6 species) Dioscoreaceae (41 spe-cies) Iridaceae (53 species) Musaceae (6 species)Lowiaceae (1 species) Costaceae (3 species) Zingi-beraceae (53 species) Cannaceae (3 species) and Mar-antaceae (6 species)
MY LIEN T NGUYEN
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIlsquoI AT MANOA
HONOLULU HI 96822MYLIENHAWAIIEDU
Flora of North America North of Mexico Volume4 Caryophyllidae in part Caryophyllales Part1 (pink order) Editorial Committee 2003 OxfordUniversity Press 198 Madison Avenue New YorkNY 10016 xxiv 1 559 pp (hardcover) $12000ISBN 0-19-517389-9
Since publication of the first two in 1993 each newvolume in the Flora of North America North of Mexicoseries has been eagerly anticipated and fondly receivedby botanists working on the continent Volume 4 Mag-noliophyta Caryophyllidae part 1 is the latest in theseries to be published and is destined like those beforeit to be appreciated by botanists for its authoritative-ness and utility Although this volume is the eighth toappear in the series it is only the second (out of a
492 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
projected nineteen) published that deals with dicoty-ledonous families the others to date have focused onfern gymnosperm and monocot taxa It is the first oftwo to deal with the Caryophyllidae and covers tenfamilies included within the order CaryophyllalesPhytolaccaceae Achatocarpaceae Nyctaginaceae Ai-zoaceae Cactaceae Chenopodiaceae AmaranthaceaePortulacaceae Basellaceae and Molluginaceae Cov-erage of these families totals 124 genera and 892 spe-cies
The largest portion of Volume 4 is devoted to theCactaceae accordingly it is a must for those workingin arid parts of North America where member taxapredominate However families such as the Cheno-podiaceae Amaranthaceae and Portulacaceae alsoconstitute a significant portion of the publication andthe widespread distribution of these families acrossNorth America makes the volume invaluable else-where Moreover in keeping with the precedent set byother volumes in the series short but highly informa-tive accounts of each family precede taxonomic treat-ments This arrangement ensures that although partic-ular keys might not prove immediately useful for bot-anists each volume is nevertheless indispensable forthe authoritative summaries provided
For the economic botanist there are many genera ofinterest included From the Cactaceae for examplethere are Carnegiea (saguaro) Lophophora (peyote)Nopalea (nopal) and Opuntia (pricklypear) The Por-tulacaceae includes treatments of Claytonia (spring-beauty) Lewisia Montia and Portulaca (purslane)From the Phytolaccaceae is the genus Phytolacca(pokeweed) And then there are Celosia (cockscomb)and Amaranthus (pigweed amaranth) from the Amar-anthaceae When one finally includes a few of themany species from the Chenopodiaceae that are of eco-nomic importancemdasheg Atriplex (orach saltbush)Beta (beet chard) Chenopodium (goosefoot lambrsquos-quarters quinoa) Kochia Salsola (Russian thistletumbleweed) Sarcobatus (greasewood) Spinacia(spinach) Suaeda (sea-blite)mdashVolume 4 appears as atruly essential reference for botanists and plantsmenworking in North America
As I stated in an earlier review (see Economic Bot-any 54(4)655) I feel a principal fault with the seriesif there is to be one is that there are far too few illus-trations accompanying the text Given the exceptionalquality of those illustrations that are included thisproves to be a persistently disappointing feature in anotherwise flawless series While the botanical descrip-tions included in each volume are certainly clear andconcise the old adage that lsquolsquoa picture speaks a thou-sand wordsrsquorsquo is indeed appropriate here This saidthere are few criticisms to make with regard to thecontent of each volume and this one is no exceptionIt is with eager anticipation then that botanists likemyself will undoubtedly be awaiting the next in theseries to appear
ERIC P BURKHART
SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
EPB6PSUEDU
De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes CD-ROM Fuchs Leonard 1542 Octavo Edition 134Linden Street Oakland CA 94607-2538 US$3000 ISBN 1-59110-051-8
Botanists of all persuasions should allow themselvesthe pleasure of thumbing through Fuchsrsquo herbal Thisherbal is a beautiful scholarly and scientific piece ofbotanical and medical history Fuchs wrote at the timewhen economic botany was an essential component ofmedicine and gardeners raised remedies He used thisbook to take lsquolsquoherbalsrsquorsquo out of the dark ages and intothe Renaissance synthesizing classical texts medievalherbals and new ideas of naturalism and science Thequality of Fuchsrsquo herbal is cited as one of the majorreasons herbal remedies remained a part of mainstreamGerman medicine in the last 500 years and it is thescholarly forerunner of todayrsquos respected CommissionE reports
Karen Reedsrsquo introductory lsquolsquoCommentaryrsquorsquo gives agreat history of Fuchs the herbal and its historicalcontext Reeds tells of the obstacles Fuchs faced in hisquest to create a new type of herbal the Vienna Codex[a much expanded and corrected version of the herbalin three huge volumes] and how Fuchsrsquo first book re-vealed the dangerous mistakes medieval physiciansand apothecaries were making because of transcriptionmistakes in botanical identifications
Functionally the CD-ROM version offers severaltools and options that make this more than just an in-expensive substitute for the lsquolsquoreal bookrsquorsquo At 1frasl10 thecost of the hardback print version it contains highquality images of the entire book in a large Acrobatpdf file The images of the open book are excellentand so realistically detailed that you can actually seefaint crinkles in the paper and the shadows of text fromthe reverse side of the pages
I do have two complaints with the electronic formatFirst there is a confusing array of lsquolsquopagesrsquorsquo and a falsecursor or mouse move can cause you to lsquolsquojumprsquorsquo to dif-ferent sections unintentionally Itrsquos hard to find actualpage numbers from the original text even though theyare used in the index because you must use [different]Adobe Reader lsquolsquoViewrsquorsquo and lsquolsquoPagersquorsquo numbers Secondlyyou must take time to learn how to navigate the text inAdobe Reader Octavorsquos Visual Guide is clear and com-plete but you have to find it It takes time and practiceto learn the commands so you might want to just printout the instructions until you are comfortable with theformat I do recommend that you take the time how-ever since there are many useful and convenient fea-
2004] 493BOOK REVIEWS
tures For instance you can search the text zoom in ona variety of images or text or use the lsquolsquoPagesrsquorsquo tool tobrowse through all of the pages as thumbnail-sized im-ages The lsquolsquoBookmarksrsquorsquo tool reveals a navigable tableof contents which expand contract or highlight partic-ular entries for your own reference
All in all this edition is a great find that you willappreciate more as you use it and become familiar withthe format As a classic landmark masterpiece in bo-tanical history either the CD or the hardcover versionshould be included in your personal or university li-brary
KAROL CHANDLER-EZELL
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63108KAROLEPIWUSTLEDU
Bacterial Disease Resistance in Plants MolecularBiology and Biotechnological Applications Vid-hyasekaran P 2002 The Haworth Press Inc 10Alice Street Binghamton NY 13904 xiv 1 452pp (paperback) US$ 5995 ISBN 1-56022-925-X
Current through the late 1990s this text by a notedauthority in the field does a remarkable job of cov-ering the complex area of plant resistance to bacterialdisease The book is logically organized into 6 majorchapters Molecular Recognition Processes BetweenPlant and Bacterial Pathogens Host Defense Mecha-nisms The Cell WallmdashThe First Barrier and a Sourceof Defense Signal Molecules Active Oxygen SpeciesInducible Plant Proteins Inducible Secondary Metab-olites and the final chapter is Biological ApplicationsMolecular Manipulation of Bacterial Disease Resis-tance References (over 1700) are contained in a blend-ed comprehensive list at the end of the text by authorThis reviewer noted very few errors in text tables orcharts No chemical structures are in the text other thaninitialed protein sequences
The text represents a thorough summary of the ma-jor findings in the six basic areas of plantsrsquo responsesto bacterial invasion Though a few years out of datethe findings are clearly presented in mostly chronolog-ical fashion and serve as an excellent review of thedevelopment of the entire field The author furthermoreinterjects insightful comments from his long career inthe area These often are calls for additional researchinto poorly understood processes such as tylose accu-mulation and early research on hsr and str gene-en-coded proteins The general area of active oxygen spe-cies lacks a discussion of NO Other shortcomings ofthe test are its lack of sufficient coverage of induciblesecondary metabolites (the term alkaloid is not evenin the index) the roles of Ca11 and calmodulin andthe abbreviated treatment given the jasmonatemeth-yljasmonate induction process
This text can be recommended for the researcherwho is seeking an overview of the entire process Itcan also serve as a very readable introduction to thegraduate student just becoming familiar with the areaIt can be recommended for inclusion in the libraries ofdepartments of plant pathology botanyplant physiol-ogy and plant molecular biology
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Breeding Research on Aromatic and MedicinalPlants Johnson Christopher B and ChlodwigFranz eds 2002 Haworth Herbal Press 10 AliceStreet Binghamton NY 13904-1580 xx 1 435 pp(paperback) US$ 4995 ISBN 0-7890-1973-6
This book was co-published simultaneously as theJournal of Herbs Spices and Medicinal Plants 9 (23 and 4) in 2002 and represents papers presented atthe second international conference on lsquolsquoBreeding Re-search on Medicinal and Aromatic Plantsrsquorsquo held inCrete in July of 2000 It is divided into four majorsections Conventional Breeding Biochemistry Bio-technology Molecular Genetics and Physiology Bio-diversity and Conservation of Medicinal and AromaticPlantsrsquo Resources and Economic Ethical and LegalAspects There is a combined topicauthor index thatlacks a comprehensive inclusion of phytochemicalsThe text contains very few errors and has extensivespecific data inserted in numerous maps graphs andtables The editors have done a fine job of organizinga wide array of topics by numerous authors into par-allel text Chapters contain a summary and key wordsintroduction detailed materials and methods (whereapplicable) results and conclusions Each chapter hasits own references listed which this reviewer prefersover a single composite listing at the end of the text
The plants discussed center heavily on Mediterra-nean species and the regionrsquos cultivars phytopatholog-ical considerations and climatehabitats which maylimit the textrsquos utility to North American conditionsthough on occasion North American cultivars are in-cluded as in Buter and Buterrsquos chapter on Hypericumperforatum L and Keskitalorsquos on Tanacetum vulgareL in Finland
Other interesting chapters that digress from the titleinclude Goeschlrsquos lsquolsquoStakes in the evolutionary raceThe economic value of plants for medicinal applica-tionsrsquorsquo Llewelynrsquos lsquolsquoEuropean Plant Intellectual Prop-ertyrsquorsquo and Padusi et al lsquolsquoChallenges and opportunitiesin enhancing the conservation and use of medicinaland aromatic plantsrsquorsquo
This book can be recommended first and foremost
494 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
to those researchers involved with medicinal plantbreeding in the Mediterranean region It may serve asan additional valuable reference in the libraries of oth-ers interested in solving the present dayrsquos dilemmas ofsupply and standardization of medicinal and aromaticplantsrsquo products especially in light of questions ofconservation and the preservation of genetic diversity
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Gathering Moss A Natural and Cultural History ofMosses Kimmerer Robin Wall 2003 OregonState University Press Corvallis viii 1 168 pp(paperback) US$ 1795 ISBN 0-87071-499-6
Letrsquos face it mosses are not generally considered tobe glamorous plants Introductory biology textbookspresent mosses as examples of (1) the most primitiveof plants transitional between algae and ferns and oth-er pteridophytes and (2) the principle of lsquolsquoalternationof generationsrsquorsquo Once you have read Gathering Mossyour image of this neglected group will be consider-ably broadened
This slim volume consists of a series of 20 briefessays Robin Kimmerer a botanist and the author ofnumerous publications on mosses in The Bryologistand other scientific journals also happens to be of Pot-awatomi heritage She is thus able to combine her sci-entific training and botanical knowledge with the in-digenous lsquolsquoways of knowingrsquorsquo including emotion andspirit as well as mind and body
Most essays begin with a folksy account of someevent in the authorrsquos personal life such as a foray intothe woods with her daughters in the Adirondacks oran interchange between herself and a neighbor In eachcase there is seamlessly woven into her account someaspect of mosses their diversity ecology or physiol-ogy One essay lsquolsquoThe Web of Reciprocity IndigenousUses of Mossrsquorsquo surveys some of the every-day waysthat Native peoples have used mosses
Although not intended as a field guide many ex-cellent pen-and-ink drawings illustrating various spe-cies of mosses are scattered throughout The bibliog-raphy includes references on economic aspects ofmosses as well as those on moss identification
After you read this book I predict that you willnever again think of mosses as insignificant or super-fluous It is hoped that this book Professor Kimmererrsquosfirst will not be her last
THOMAS E HEMMERLY
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
MURFREESBORO TN 37132THEMMERLMTSUEDU
A Global Compendium of Weeds Randall R P2002 R G amp F J Richardson PO Box 42 Mer-edith Victoria 3333 Australia distributed by Mis-souri Botanical Garden Press PO Box 299 StLouis MO 63166 wwwmbgpresscom xxxii 1905 pp (hardcover) US$ 99 1 shipping amp han-dling ISBN 0-9587439-8-3
The source material of this lsquolsquoencyclopediarsquorsquo is everybook pamphlet journal article personal communica-tion and website the author could find There are near-ly 300 of these listed in Table 1 pages viiindashxxvii Theyare arbitrarily numbered 1ndash300 in no discernible pat-tern with a half dozen lsquolsquovacantrsquorsquo These are highlyvariable in their quality obviously We have for ex-ample Royer and Dickinson 1999 lsquolsquoWeeds of Canadaand the Northern United Statesrsquorsquo a scholarly workNumber 299 on the list but also Number 281 on thelist lsquolsquoPrincipales Malezas de Centro America y El Ca-ribe Controladas con Rounduprsquorsquo So far as I know thisherbicide kills every plant it touches so this referenceis surely not a critical source of information But forgood or ill there it is make of it what you will
Randall is quite aware that websites (abundantly cit-ed) come and go and he warns the reader accordinglyIt is characteristic of the approach this book takes thathe also tells the reader how to do a Google search
Therersquos a striking picture on the cover It looks likesome kind of lsquolsquocreature from the Black Lagoonrsquorsquo It isin fact Lavandula stoechas (Lamiaceae) and it is re-peated on the title page There are two other illustra-tions Phalaris aquatica (Poaceae) on xxxi and Pa-paver somniferum on p 761 These images are iden-tified on the back of the title page but not particular-ized as to page number
The body of the text is an alphabetical listing byscientific names with abundant synonymy and crossreferences with associated family name and some-times more than one family name when the expertsdonrsquot agree An unusual and most helpful feature is thecitation of common names in what appear to be dozensof languages rendered into Roman script For exam-ple under Alopecurus aequalis (Poaceae) we havelsquoshort-awned foxtailrsquo lsquoorange foxtail lsquomarsh foxtailrsquoand lsquorantapuntarpaarsquo I have no idea what languagethat last one is transcribed from and thatrsquos preciselywhat will make this book so useful to botanists of allstripes here at last is a source to look up obscure com-mon names Most helpfully all names are included inan exhaustive alphabetical index pp 763ndash905
As is typical of books on weeds this one offers nodefinition of the term If somebody somewhere forsome reason called it a lsquolsquoweedrsquorsquo then itrsquos here As aresult specialists will wonder at the inclusion of somenames but I doubt he has made any significant exclu-sions He claims there are 20 672 entries of scientific
2004] 495BOOK REVIEWS
names and 27 108 common names and I believe himHis sources of information for each entry are given bythe arbitrary numbering system mentioned above
The previous lsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo on weeds wasHolm et al lsquolsquoA Geographical Atlas of World Weedsrsquorsquo1979 with a reprint edition in 1991 it listed 6400species Randallrsquos book bids fair to become the newlsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
Wheat Ecology and Physiology of Yield Determi-nation Satorre Emilio H and Gustavo A Slafereds 1999 Food Products Press an imprint of TheHaworth Press Inc 10 Alice Street BinghamtonNY 13904 xx 1 503 pp (paperback) US$ 125(hardcover) US$ 5995 (paperback) ISBN1-56022-874-1 (hardcover) ISBN 1-56022-875-X(paperback printing 2000)
The editors have marshaled experts from around theworld to write 19 chapters on improving wheat yieldsThese are organized into four parts Wheat PhysiologyWheat Ecology Wheat Production Systems andBreeding to Further Raise Wheat Yields The result isa kind of updated textbook on agronomy of cultivatedwheat There is nothing on the evolution of the speciesunder the hand of mankindmdashthatrsquos not the intent
There is an enormous investigational base for awork of this kind because wheat is the most widelygrown crop in the world approximately one-sixth ofthe worldrsquos total arable land is cultivated with wheatAs evidence of how vast the literature is one needonly look at the references cited at the end of eachchaptermdashI was struck by the fact that all cited papersand books are in English with no hint of anything inFrench German Russian or Spanish
The editors included their own introductory chapterwherein they point out that there are over 300 000plant species but only 24 of these are used as cropsto satisfy most human requirements for food and fiberFor the first 50 years of the twentieth century yieldsincreased dramatically because more and more landwas brought into production but yields per hectarewere essentially flat Dramatic increases in yield perhectare came about with large increases in researchbut for the last decade or so yields have leveled offeven as human populations have continued to growdramatically The contributing authors have all pointedout where more information is needed and the bookis probably already being used to shape future researchprograms
This is not a symposium volume and the editors areto be congratulated for having taken the time to com-
pile an extensive author index as well as a thoroughsubject index As a result one can find (for example)where antibiosis and antixenosis are covered in thebook not to mention lsquolsquochromosome engineeringrsquorsquo andlsquolsquoslugsrsquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
North American Wildland Plants A Field GuideStubbendieck James Stephan L Hatch and L MLandholt 2003 University of Nebraska Press 233North 8th Street Lincoln Nebraska xiv 1 501 pp(paperback) US$ 3000 ISBN 0-8032-9306-2
This new volume the sixth edition of North Amer-ican Range Plants (Stubbendieck 1986) is a welcomeaddition to the bookshelf of any rangeland ecologist ornatural resource specialist Focusing primarily onplants of the Great Plains the book describes about200 common rangeland plants The taxonomic layoutis organized into four classifications grasses (whichmake up about half the taxa) grass-like plants forbsand woody plants Distribution maps vernacular andscientific names habit descriptions and detailed leaffloral and fruit characteristics are included in the neat-ly arranged text Additional plant information includ-ing historic uses value as forage for livestock andgeneral habitat greatly increase the bookrsquos potentialappeal
Beautifully drawn illustrations with details and ex-planations of particularly significant morphologicalstructures are presented alongside the species descrip-tions for easy cross-reference in the field Illustratedglossaries near the front of the book provide a conciseand comprehensive background for those less familiarwith technical terminology The book also contains atext-only glossary and an authorities section that de-tails the authorrsquos citations
All in all it is a thorough painstakingly researchedbook of proven valuemdashhence the many editions Thatraises the question lsquolsquoWhy change the title after allthese yearsrsquorsquo
LITERATURE CITED
Stubbendieck J S L Hatch and K J Hirsch1986 North American range plants 5th ed Uni-versity of Nebraska Press Lincoln NE
GREGORY GUST
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
PO BOX 299ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63166-0299
496 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
PhytoChem Australia A Database on AustralianPlant Chemistry 1940ndash2000 [CD-ROM] CollinsD J and C C J Culvenor 2003 CSIRO Pub-lishing PO Box 1139 URL wwwpublishcsiroau Collingwood Vic 3066 Australia AU$29500 ISBN 0643066322
As scientists we use databases on a daily basis tosort data and locate references We also occasionallyconstruct our own databases to help solve researchproblems Large cross-referenced books indices andcyclopedias were the original databases but PCs andnew software have made the database more availableand more useful the Internet has also made many ofthese databases accessible on-line
In natural products chemistry the study of theknown chemical composition of a plant begins withdatabase reference searches There are some searchabledatabases like NAPRALERT that are incredibly com-prehensive and constantly updatedmdashbut expensive fora well-researched plant Chemical Abstracts BiosisMedline and the various academic journal databasesall index differently and to get a comprehensiveknowledge of the previous phytochemical work on agiven plant several searches in many databases are re-quired None of these databases are perfect There alsoremain many professional journals not indexed bythese databases which tend to have an American orEuropean slant The PhytoChem Australia CD-ROMhas been released to fill this void as a useful tool forfinding phytochemical information and references onAustralian plants It is intended for those investigatinglsquolsquoagriculture pharmacy toxicology and Aboriginalstudiesrsquorsquo and contains over 2700 references publishedbetween 1940 and 2000 For anyone searching for phy-tochemical information on a plant known to be Aus-tralian in origin this will likely be an indispensabledatabase for references Those working on plants thatare pantropical may also find this database useful inthat many Australian journals not indexed by other da-tabases are included In addition to the ability to searchby family genus or species the authors have includedPDF files with the complete bibliography as well asauthor and plant indices
A functional database is much more than a compi-lation of information however and to be useful itmust transcend the collection of information to provideeasy access We are accustomed to very lsquolsquoclickablersquorsquowebsites and databases that are easy to use so anydatabase entering this arena must be as user-friendlyas possible I found some of the search mechanismssomewhat awkward and the instructions a bit lackingThe drop-down menus for a species will only appearif a genus is selected and likewise the genus drop-down menu will only operate if a family is selectedWhile this isnrsquot a serious problem if you are unsureof a family relationship or the correct spelling you arenot given any help in locating information This is
made more frustrating by the fact that you must alwayschoose lsquolsquoHigher Plantsrsquorsquo from the Plant Type in orderto get a family list I couldnrsquot see the utility of thisfield Among the Algae Bacteria Fungi and Lichencategories there were only 63 total families added tothe database A simpler design would allow the useraccess to drop-down menus without having selected ahigher taxonomic level Search results can be sortedby date or publication but not by author or title Onecan also search the database by compound and com-pound type but no search can be refinedmdashin order torefine a search one must re-enter all plant informationagain
The lsquolsquoCompound Typersquorsquo field is a long and confus-ing-looking list I found a lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo category (10hits) and a lsquolsquoflavonoidsrsquorsquo category (1 hit) There were21 flavonoid subcategories but they unfortunately donot all fall within the general lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo categoryThe additional subcategories could be very helpful butit apparently means that 23 searches would have to beperformed to be sure you are getting all the flavonoidinformation for a plantmdashand each time the plant namewould have to be re-entered The alkaloid subdivisionsfar outnumber the flavonoid subdivisions In a wordcumbersome Another strange detail is the fact thatmost of the journal names are abbreviatedmdashand notabbreviated consistently I saw no reason for not in-cluding the whole journal name I foundlsquolsquoJEthnopharmacologyrsquorsquo (1 hit) and JEthnopharmacol(2 hits) in the drop-down menu and the searchlsquolsquojethnorsquorsquo returned all 3 hits while lsquolsquoJournal of Eth-nopharmacologyrsquorsquo returned no hits
One of the beauties of a database like this howeveris the ability to update and change the information Asit comes the database is protected but designerrsquos con-tact information is included for those wishing to cus-tomize their database Of course it also means that theauthors can continue to update the information andwork out the design flaws for future editions Hope-fully they will It would be well worth the effort
KURT ALLERSLEV REYNERTSON
CUNY PLANT SCIENCES
BRONX NY 10468KREYNERTLEHMANCUNYEDU
Medicinal Plants of the World An Illustrated Sci-entific Guide to Important Medicinal Plants andTheir Uses Van Wyk Ben-Erik and MichaelWink 2004 Timber Press Inc The HaseltineBuilding 133 SW Second Ave Suite 450 Port-land OR 97204 480 pp (hardcover) US$ 3995ISBN 0-88192-602-7
Readers may recognize van Wykrsquos name as the au-thor of Peoplersquos Plants A Guide to Useful Plants ofSouthern Africa (review 55(4)580ndash581) This is a dif-
2004] 497BOOK REVIEWS
ferent contribution by him in partnership with anothercollaborator Van Wyk is a professor of botany at theRand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg while Mi-chael Wink is professor of pharmaceutical biology atthe University of Heidelberg
This book is introduced by a Preface Introductionan abbreviated discussion of world medical systems alist of plant parts used in medicines dosage forms useof medicinal plant products active ingredients qualityand safety efficacy of medicinal plant products andregulation of herbal remedies and phytomedicinesFollowing this are the selected 320 species in alpha-betical order For each species there is a half pagecolor photograph or sometimes two to four Text givesthe scientific name selected English common name(s)a description comments on origins parts used thera-peutic category uses and properties preparation anddosage active ingredients pharmacological effectsnotes and status In smaller font at the bottom of eachpage is the Latin name with authority the family andcommon names in up to four other European languag-es Next are discussions of health disorders and me-dicinal plants an overview of secondary metabolitesand their effects and a lsquolsquoQuick guide to commercial-ised medicinal plantsrsquorsquo that includes more than 900species Finally there is a glossary a list of furtherreading and a general index
The photographs themselves are of extremely highquality and many were taken by the authors Otherswere taken by colleagues who are listed at the end ofthe book (pp 479ndash480) In addition to the main spe-cies discussed there are sometimes photographs of re-lated species For example in addition to Zea maysthere is a photo of Secale cereale This grass is illus-trated because rye pollen sometimes comprises up to92 of what is sold as lsquolsquomaize pollenrsquorsquo
This is one more book from Timber Press that addsto their growing roster of dishonest titles While it istrue that the volume contains plants from around theworld it is not a compendium of lsquolsquoMedicinal Plants ofthe Worldrsquorsquo The true nature of the book appears in thehonest subtitle and in the authorsrsquo preface (p 6) Toobad Timber Press no longer uses titles that reflect thecontent of their books
Still the clear emphasis of this book is Europeanplants There is but a smattering of American AfricanAsian and Australian species The correct emphasis iseasily learned from the common names EnglishFrench German Italian and Spanish None are in Por-tuguese perhaps the third most abundantly used Eu-ropean language in the New World lsquolsquoNeemrsquorsquo is thename of East Indian origin for Azadirachta indica inspite of the fact that it has dozens of others in India(cf Watt 1889 Parrotta 2001)
In spite of my negative comments is this a bookthat people should buy Absolutely unreservedly yesAt the price the book is worth it simply for the pho-tographs Add to that the authoritative text and thecompact lsquolsquoquick guidersquorsquo and it is a real bargain
LITERATURE CITED
Watt George 1889 A dictionary of the economicproducts of India Reprinted 1972 by Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehra Dun India (see VolV211ndash221)
Parrotta John A 2001 Healing plants of peninsularIndia CABI Publishing New York NY
DANIEL F AUSTIN
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM
TUCSON AZ 85743DAUSTINDESERTMUSEUMORG
2004] 489BOOK REVIEWS
on his suggestion and starting reading chapters withanswers to my questions How does it work (Insec-ticidal Crystal ProteinsmdashICPs) Is it safe for humans(Yes) Is there evidence of pest resistance (Yes)
The first few chapters answered my questions I readthat Bt has proven to be one of the safest products forpest control in terms of impact on human health1 Btis safe for humans because of the specificity of thekilling agent (ICP) It kills specifically LepidopteraColeoptera Diptera
In the next few articles we can read about crop-specific case studies featuring international cotton pro-duction Case studies about rice potatoes and sugar-cane are interesting and informative There is a seriousdiscussion about the criteria for successful lsquolsquoresistancemanagementrsquorsquo and the importance of preserving theeffectiveness of Bt using these criteria And for thoseof us who would miss them if they were not repre-sented there are articles presenting the result of lab-oratory research For example we may read about theimportance of developing a lsquolsquomore rapid method forevaluation of gene constructsrsquorsquo and about a SyntheticCrystal Protein which may kill insects currently resis-tant to Bt
If you have ever questioned where are the researchresults about the use of Bt-based insecticides and trans-genic crops in our food production system or talkedabout its use with your colleagues you must read thesetwelve articles You will need the comprehensive an-swers provided for the questions about the use of Ba-cillus thuringiensis its potential in world food produc-tion its risks benefits development and resistances-management strategies
HENRY GARCIA-ALVAREZ
INTERNATIONAL AGRI-FORESTRY
DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT
BRYTE CALIFORNIA 95605HHHERBALDCNORG
Pueraria The Genus Pueraria Keung Wing Minged 2002 Medicinal and Aromatic PlantsmdashIndus-trial Profiles Vol 23 Hardman Roland ed Tayloramp Francis 11 New Fetter Lane London EC4P4EE UK xviii 1 290 pp (hardcover) US$ 10995ISBN 0-415-28492-9
1 EDITORrsquoS NOTE But not for non-humans thereis no target specificity All Lepidoptera Coleopteraand Diptera are targets whether lsquolsquofriendlyrsquorsquo or lsquolsquoun-friendlyrsquorsquo In other words all butterflies (includingmonarchs) lady beetles and other native insects arealso targeted Among other recent commentaries onthis topic see Nabhan Gary P 2001 Coming Hometo Eat The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods288 pp W W Norton amp Company ISBN0393020177
The wide recognition of the common names Kudzu(United States) Ge-gen (China) and Kuzu (Japan) bythe average person in these countries reflects the im-portance of the genus Pueraria in both the West andthe East This bookrsquos seventeen chapters although nota comprehensive review for all botanical traditionaluse and other potential topics does contain a verybroad number of scholarly works on the genus Puer-aria Although many topics are covered the main per-spective is from the viewpoint of a pharmacognocistor natural products chemist evaluating the chemistrypharmacological safety and potential as a drug or sci-ence based therapeutic agent In the first chapter L JG van der Maesen summarizes his most recent taxo-nomic revision of the genus Pueraria where he rec-ognizes 15 species It is unclear why many researchershave been slow to incorporate the latest taxonomic andnomenclatural changes by Maesen including contrib-utors to many chapters of this book
Pueraria has been used on a large scale for erosioncontrol fiber starch and as an ingredient in diversityof Traditional Chinese and Kampo medicines Kath-leen Lowneyrsquos final chapter in the book lsquolsquoFriend orFoe Changing cultural definitions of Kudzursquorsquo gives agood analysis of how Kudzu in the 20th century hasgone through an enthusiastic period a disenchantmentperiod and now is in a period of tempered enthusiasmIt would be accurate to summarize the current state ofthe science of the potential health benefits of Kudzu(P montana var lobata or P lobata) and related spe-cies like P mirifica and P tuberosa reviewed in thisvolume as lsquolsquotempered enthusiasmrsquorsquo since most of theevidence is based on chemistry pre-clinical and verysmall clinical trials for specific indications The bookhas brought together in one small volume a summaryof much of the chemistry and pharmacology of Kudzuand related species including the potential benefitsconcerning alcohol abuse hepatoprotection cardiovas-cular function and for estrogen related disorders suchas the possible chemo-preventive effects for estrogenrelated cancers and osteoporosis as well as P tuber-sosa contraceptive efficacy and toxicity
The book also includes some of the diversity of usesin Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese patentmedicines as well as information related to the qualityof TCM and patent medicines In addition the volumeincludes chapters on ethnobotany and economic usesincluding food and fiber products However the eth-nobotany economic botany ecology and plant tax-onomy of Pueraria are covered only briefly in com-parison to the current literature and should be seen asbackground for the main theme of the chemistry andpharmacology of the genus For example botanistswishing to learn whether the fast growing Kudzu isdestroying the plant diversity of the American southwill not find the answer in this book
The treatment of Pueraria chemistry is not compre-hensive but covers the isoflavonoids (the chemical
490 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
class that are the source of most of the reported bio-logical activity) in the most depth This book includeschapters on Pueraria isoflavonoid biosynthesis mam-malian metabolism and specific pharmacological ac-tivities The index is helpful for locating chemicalcompounds and biological activity but ethnobotanistsand economic botanists trying to locate information ontraditional and economic uses will find the index ofalmost no value This volume contains many excellentchapters that will be of most value for university li-braries and natural products researchers interested inthe potential of Pueraria as a science based therapeuticagent
EDWARD M CROOM JRUNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
OXFORD MS 38655EDWARDCROOMINFO
Magnolia The Genus Magnolia Sarker Satyajit Dand Yuji Maruyama eds 2002 Medicinal and Ar-omatic PlantsmdashIndustrial Profiles Vol 28 Hard-man Roland ed Taylor amp Francis 11 New FetterLane London EC4P 4EE UK xii 1 187 pp(hardcover) US$ 12995 ISBN 0-415-28494-5
For many botanists in the West the chemistry andbiological activity of the genus Magnolia remains to-tally unknown even though it was used by NativeAmericans and others in the Southeastern UnitedStates However in Traditional Chinese Medicine andTCMrsquos close Japanese cousin Kampo medicine Mag-nolia is well known as an ingredient in formulas totreat many illnesses The beauty of this book residesin the clarity and logical organization that make learn-ing about the traditional uses phytochemistry biolog-ical activity and pharmacology as well as quality con-trol and native distribution and cultivation of Magnoliaspecies a pleasant educational adventure The verythorough index is also so well organized that one canfind selected topics concerning individual species orspecific biological activities in an instant
This book is so good a compilation of the currentknowledge concerning the health related informationon the genus Magnolia that it is simply elegant I rec-ommend this book for anyone who is interested inMagnolia as a therapeutic agent Both the editors andthe authors are to be commended for their intelligentand thoughtful contribution to the scientific literatureThis volume could serve as a model for any of us onhow to edit and write a concise reference work
EDWARD M CROOM JRUNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
OXFORD MS 38655EDWARDCROOMINFO
Flora of China Vol 6 Caryophyllaceae throughLardizabalaceae Wu Zheng-yi Peter H Ravenet al eds 2002 Science Press 16 Donghuang-chenggen North Street Beijing 100717 China andMissouri Botanical Garden Press 4344 ShawBlvd St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 512 pp(hardcover) US$ 10000 ISBN 0-915279-05-9
The Flora of China (FOC) series is an up-to-dateEnglish-language revision of the Flora Republicae Po-pularis Sinicae (FRPS) Once completed the approx-imately 30 000 species of native naturalized and ex-otic economically important vascular plants found inChina will be described in 24 volumes (including a25th supplementary volume containing a cumulativeindex for all the volumes) This revision continues asan important endeavor because the rich flora of Chinahas contributed many economically important speciesincluding those used for food medicine and ornamen-tal purposes
FOC organizes the sequence of families by a mod-ified Englerian system Dichotomous keys throughspecies level and in some cases infraspecies followfamily descriptions Care has been taken to list syno-nyms only after they are checked to be correctly iden-tified and used in other major East Asian floras andwith the author names and bibliographical citation forbasionyms and author names only for synonyms
All the FOC volumes conveniently include four in-dexes 1) Chinese character names sorted by brushstrokes 2) transliteration of Chinese names sorted byHanyu Pinyin 3) scientific names and 4) an index tofamilies in the FOC and FRPS volumes A large mapof China delimiting its provinces and adjacent coun-tries is provided as endpapers
A note regarding the value of having the pinyin in-dex In my research with Vietnamese food plantsmany species introduced by the Chinese not only toVietnam but also to other areas of the United Statesthat is home to large Chinese and Vietnamese popu-lations are known locally by the pinyin name as wellas the Vietnamese name Therefore knowledge of bothcan facilitate identification to the Latin binomial
My original complaint with the flora was the priceof each volume I have since learned it is possible tobuy volume pairs (Text and Illustrations) at a reducedrate of $15000pair That is still expensive but an in-telligent investment for a handsome and valuable in-clusion to the library of any student of the plants ofChina and Asia as well as others interested in florist-ics systematics plant distributions and economic bot-any
FOC Vol 6 treats the Caryophyllaceae (30 genera390 species) Nelumbonaceae (1 species) Nympha-ceae (3 genera 8 species) Cabombaceae (2 genera 2species) Ceratophyllaceae (1 genera 3 species) Eup-teleaceae (1 species) Trochodendraceae (1 species)Tetracentraceae (1 species) Cercidiphyllaceae (1 spe-
2004] 491BOOK REVIEWS
cies) Paeoniaceae (1 genus 15 species) Ranuncula-ceae (38 genera 921 species) Circaeasteraceae (1 spe-cies) and Lardizabalaceae (7 genera 37 species) ofthe 1382 taxa included 60 represented by 8 generaand 832 species are endemic to China
FOC Vol 6 includes nomenclatural novelties in thegenera Anemone Arenaria Clematis and Delphinium
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 6 Caryophylla-ceae through Lardizabalaceae Wu Zheng-yi Pe-ter H Raven et al eds 2003 Science Press 16Donghuangchenggen North Street Beijing 100717China and Missouri Botanical Garden Press POBox 299 St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 446 pp(hardcover) US$ 11500 ISBN 1-930723-25-3
The publication of separate texts and illustrationsvolumes has facilitated the production of richly de-tailed beautiful books These books will be a treasureto those that appreciate beautiful yet accurately de-tailed botanical illustrations The arrangement of illus-trations follows the sequence of taxa represented in thecorresponding text volumes Each taxon is presentedwith its identifying morphological features (flowersfruits leaves etc) However the primary downfall isthe absence of measurements or scales Instead mea-surements for each of the particular parts (flowersfruits leaves etc) are only provided in the taxon de-scriptions in the corresponding text volumes The nu-merous plant parts drawn to different scales on a singlepage further complicate this Therefore though the il-lustrations are excellent without the accompanyingtext their purchase is an aesthetic luxury
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 6 accompanies theFOC Vol 6 published in 2001 The illustrations vol-ume includes 420 figures covering 858 species (thekeys text treats 1382 species) represented in the Car-yophyllaceae (229 species) Nelumbonaceae (1 spe-cies) Nymphaceae (3 species) Cabombaceae (1 spe-cies) Ceratophyllaceae (3 species) Eupteleaceae (1species) Trochodendraceae (1 species) Cercidiphyl-laceae (1 species) Paeoniaceae (12 species) Ranun-culaceae (539 species) Circaeasteraceae (1 species)and Lardizabalaceae (14 species) Tetracentraceaetreated in the text FOC is not illustrated
Flora of China Vol 9 Pittosporaceae through Con-naraceae Wu Zheng-yi Peter H Raven et al eds2003 Science Press 16 DonghuangchenggenNorth Street Beijing 100717 China and MissouriBotanical Garden Press PO Box 299 St LouisMO 63166-0299 xii 1 496 pp (hardcover) US$10000 ISBN 1-930723-14-8
Flora of China (FOC) Vol 9 treats the families Pit-tosporaceae (1 genus 46 species) Hamamelidaceae(18 genera 74 species) Eucommiaceae (1 species)Platanaceae (1 genus 3 species) Rosaceae (55 genera950 species) and Connaraceae (6 genera 9 species)of which 59 are endemic to China
FOC Vol 9 includes nomenclatural novelties in thegenera Cerasus Cotoneaster Crataegus Malus Pa-dus Rosa and Rubus
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 24 Flagellari-aceae through Marantaceae Wu Zheng-yi PeterH Raven et al eds 2002 Science Press 16Donghuangchenggen North Street Beijing 100717China and Missouri Botanical Garden Press POBox 299 St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 449 pp(hardcover) US$ 11500 ISBN 0-930723-00-8
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 24 accompaniesthe FOC Vol 24 published in 2000 which treated1335 species The Vol 24 Illustrations includes 423figures representing 782 species in the Flagellariaceae(1 species) Restionaceae (1 species) Centrolepidaceae(1 species) Xyridaceae (4 species) Eriocaulaceae (19species) Bromeliaceae (3 species) Commelinaceae(34 species) Pontederiaceae (4 species) Philydraceae(1 species) Juncaceae (65 species) Stemonaceae (3species) Liliaceae (430 species) Amaryllidaceae (16species) Taccaceae (6 species) Dioscoreaceae (41 spe-cies) Iridaceae (53 species) Musaceae (6 species)Lowiaceae (1 species) Costaceae (3 species) Zingi-beraceae (53 species) Cannaceae (3 species) and Mar-antaceae (6 species)
MY LIEN T NGUYEN
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIlsquoI AT MANOA
HONOLULU HI 96822MYLIENHAWAIIEDU
Flora of North America North of Mexico Volume4 Caryophyllidae in part Caryophyllales Part1 (pink order) Editorial Committee 2003 OxfordUniversity Press 198 Madison Avenue New YorkNY 10016 xxiv 1 559 pp (hardcover) $12000ISBN 0-19-517389-9
Since publication of the first two in 1993 each newvolume in the Flora of North America North of Mexicoseries has been eagerly anticipated and fondly receivedby botanists working on the continent Volume 4 Mag-noliophyta Caryophyllidae part 1 is the latest in theseries to be published and is destined like those beforeit to be appreciated by botanists for its authoritative-ness and utility Although this volume is the eighth toappear in the series it is only the second (out of a
492 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
projected nineteen) published that deals with dicoty-ledonous families the others to date have focused onfern gymnosperm and monocot taxa It is the first oftwo to deal with the Caryophyllidae and covers tenfamilies included within the order CaryophyllalesPhytolaccaceae Achatocarpaceae Nyctaginaceae Ai-zoaceae Cactaceae Chenopodiaceae AmaranthaceaePortulacaceae Basellaceae and Molluginaceae Cov-erage of these families totals 124 genera and 892 spe-cies
The largest portion of Volume 4 is devoted to theCactaceae accordingly it is a must for those workingin arid parts of North America where member taxapredominate However families such as the Cheno-podiaceae Amaranthaceae and Portulacaceae alsoconstitute a significant portion of the publication andthe widespread distribution of these families acrossNorth America makes the volume invaluable else-where Moreover in keeping with the precedent set byother volumes in the series short but highly informa-tive accounts of each family precede taxonomic treat-ments This arrangement ensures that although partic-ular keys might not prove immediately useful for bot-anists each volume is nevertheless indispensable forthe authoritative summaries provided
For the economic botanist there are many genera ofinterest included From the Cactaceae for examplethere are Carnegiea (saguaro) Lophophora (peyote)Nopalea (nopal) and Opuntia (pricklypear) The Por-tulacaceae includes treatments of Claytonia (spring-beauty) Lewisia Montia and Portulaca (purslane)From the Phytolaccaceae is the genus Phytolacca(pokeweed) And then there are Celosia (cockscomb)and Amaranthus (pigweed amaranth) from the Amar-anthaceae When one finally includes a few of themany species from the Chenopodiaceae that are of eco-nomic importancemdasheg Atriplex (orach saltbush)Beta (beet chard) Chenopodium (goosefoot lambrsquos-quarters quinoa) Kochia Salsola (Russian thistletumbleweed) Sarcobatus (greasewood) Spinacia(spinach) Suaeda (sea-blite)mdashVolume 4 appears as atruly essential reference for botanists and plantsmenworking in North America
As I stated in an earlier review (see Economic Bot-any 54(4)655) I feel a principal fault with the seriesif there is to be one is that there are far too few illus-trations accompanying the text Given the exceptionalquality of those illustrations that are included thisproves to be a persistently disappointing feature in anotherwise flawless series While the botanical descrip-tions included in each volume are certainly clear andconcise the old adage that lsquolsquoa picture speaks a thou-sand wordsrsquorsquo is indeed appropriate here This saidthere are few criticisms to make with regard to thecontent of each volume and this one is no exceptionIt is with eager anticipation then that botanists likemyself will undoubtedly be awaiting the next in theseries to appear
ERIC P BURKHART
SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
EPB6PSUEDU
De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes CD-ROM Fuchs Leonard 1542 Octavo Edition 134Linden Street Oakland CA 94607-2538 US$3000 ISBN 1-59110-051-8
Botanists of all persuasions should allow themselvesthe pleasure of thumbing through Fuchsrsquo herbal Thisherbal is a beautiful scholarly and scientific piece ofbotanical and medical history Fuchs wrote at the timewhen economic botany was an essential component ofmedicine and gardeners raised remedies He used thisbook to take lsquolsquoherbalsrsquorsquo out of the dark ages and intothe Renaissance synthesizing classical texts medievalherbals and new ideas of naturalism and science Thequality of Fuchsrsquo herbal is cited as one of the majorreasons herbal remedies remained a part of mainstreamGerman medicine in the last 500 years and it is thescholarly forerunner of todayrsquos respected CommissionE reports
Karen Reedsrsquo introductory lsquolsquoCommentaryrsquorsquo gives agreat history of Fuchs the herbal and its historicalcontext Reeds tells of the obstacles Fuchs faced in hisquest to create a new type of herbal the Vienna Codex[a much expanded and corrected version of the herbalin three huge volumes] and how Fuchsrsquo first book re-vealed the dangerous mistakes medieval physiciansand apothecaries were making because of transcriptionmistakes in botanical identifications
Functionally the CD-ROM version offers severaltools and options that make this more than just an in-expensive substitute for the lsquolsquoreal bookrsquorsquo At 1frasl10 thecost of the hardback print version it contains highquality images of the entire book in a large Acrobatpdf file The images of the open book are excellentand so realistically detailed that you can actually seefaint crinkles in the paper and the shadows of text fromthe reverse side of the pages
I do have two complaints with the electronic formatFirst there is a confusing array of lsquolsquopagesrsquorsquo and a falsecursor or mouse move can cause you to lsquolsquojumprsquorsquo to dif-ferent sections unintentionally Itrsquos hard to find actualpage numbers from the original text even though theyare used in the index because you must use [different]Adobe Reader lsquolsquoViewrsquorsquo and lsquolsquoPagersquorsquo numbers Secondlyyou must take time to learn how to navigate the text inAdobe Reader Octavorsquos Visual Guide is clear and com-plete but you have to find it It takes time and practiceto learn the commands so you might want to just printout the instructions until you are comfortable with theformat I do recommend that you take the time how-ever since there are many useful and convenient fea-
2004] 493BOOK REVIEWS
tures For instance you can search the text zoom in ona variety of images or text or use the lsquolsquoPagesrsquorsquo tool tobrowse through all of the pages as thumbnail-sized im-ages The lsquolsquoBookmarksrsquorsquo tool reveals a navigable tableof contents which expand contract or highlight partic-ular entries for your own reference
All in all this edition is a great find that you willappreciate more as you use it and become familiar withthe format As a classic landmark masterpiece in bo-tanical history either the CD or the hardcover versionshould be included in your personal or university li-brary
KAROL CHANDLER-EZELL
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63108KAROLEPIWUSTLEDU
Bacterial Disease Resistance in Plants MolecularBiology and Biotechnological Applications Vid-hyasekaran P 2002 The Haworth Press Inc 10Alice Street Binghamton NY 13904 xiv 1 452pp (paperback) US$ 5995 ISBN 1-56022-925-X
Current through the late 1990s this text by a notedauthority in the field does a remarkable job of cov-ering the complex area of plant resistance to bacterialdisease The book is logically organized into 6 majorchapters Molecular Recognition Processes BetweenPlant and Bacterial Pathogens Host Defense Mecha-nisms The Cell WallmdashThe First Barrier and a Sourceof Defense Signal Molecules Active Oxygen SpeciesInducible Plant Proteins Inducible Secondary Metab-olites and the final chapter is Biological ApplicationsMolecular Manipulation of Bacterial Disease Resis-tance References (over 1700) are contained in a blend-ed comprehensive list at the end of the text by authorThis reviewer noted very few errors in text tables orcharts No chemical structures are in the text other thaninitialed protein sequences
The text represents a thorough summary of the ma-jor findings in the six basic areas of plantsrsquo responsesto bacterial invasion Though a few years out of datethe findings are clearly presented in mostly chronolog-ical fashion and serve as an excellent review of thedevelopment of the entire field The author furthermoreinterjects insightful comments from his long career inthe area These often are calls for additional researchinto poorly understood processes such as tylose accu-mulation and early research on hsr and str gene-en-coded proteins The general area of active oxygen spe-cies lacks a discussion of NO Other shortcomings ofthe test are its lack of sufficient coverage of induciblesecondary metabolites (the term alkaloid is not evenin the index) the roles of Ca11 and calmodulin andthe abbreviated treatment given the jasmonatemeth-yljasmonate induction process
This text can be recommended for the researcherwho is seeking an overview of the entire process Itcan also serve as a very readable introduction to thegraduate student just becoming familiar with the areaIt can be recommended for inclusion in the libraries ofdepartments of plant pathology botanyplant physiol-ogy and plant molecular biology
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Breeding Research on Aromatic and MedicinalPlants Johnson Christopher B and ChlodwigFranz eds 2002 Haworth Herbal Press 10 AliceStreet Binghamton NY 13904-1580 xx 1 435 pp(paperback) US$ 4995 ISBN 0-7890-1973-6
This book was co-published simultaneously as theJournal of Herbs Spices and Medicinal Plants 9 (23 and 4) in 2002 and represents papers presented atthe second international conference on lsquolsquoBreeding Re-search on Medicinal and Aromatic Plantsrsquorsquo held inCrete in July of 2000 It is divided into four majorsections Conventional Breeding Biochemistry Bio-technology Molecular Genetics and Physiology Bio-diversity and Conservation of Medicinal and AromaticPlantsrsquo Resources and Economic Ethical and LegalAspects There is a combined topicauthor index thatlacks a comprehensive inclusion of phytochemicalsThe text contains very few errors and has extensivespecific data inserted in numerous maps graphs andtables The editors have done a fine job of organizinga wide array of topics by numerous authors into par-allel text Chapters contain a summary and key wordsintroduction detailed materials and methods (whereapplicable) results and conclusions Each chapter hasits own references listed which this reviewer prefersover a single composite listing at the end of the text
The plants discussed center heavily on Mediterra-nean species and the regionrsquos cultivars phytopatholog-ical considerations and climatehabitats which maylimit the textrsquos utility to North American conditionsthough on occasion North American cultivars are in-cluded as in Buter and Buterrsquos chapter on Hypericumperforatum L and Keskitalorsquos on Tanacetum vulgareL in Finland
Other interesting chapters that digress from the titleinclude Goeschlrsquos lsquolsquoStakes in the evolutionary raceThe economic value of plants for medicinal applica-tionsrsquorsquo Llewelynrsquos lsquolsquoEuropean Plant Intellectual Prop-ertyrsquorsquo and Padusi et al lsquolsquoChallenges and opportunitiesin enhancing the conservation and use of medicinaland aromatic plantsrsquorsquo
This book can be recommended first and foremost
494 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
to those researchers involved with medicinal plantbreeding in the Mediterranean region It may serve asan additional valuable reference in the libraries of oth-ers interested in solving the present dayrsquos dilemmas ofsupply and standardization of medicinal and aromaticplantsrsquo products especially in light of questions ofconservation and the preservation of genetic diversity
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Gathering Moss A Natural and Cultural History ofMosses Kimmerer Robin Wall 2003 OregonState University Press Corvallis viii 1 168 pp(paperback) US$ 1795 ISBN 0-87071-499-6
Letrsquos face it mosses are not generally considered tobe glamorous plants Introductory biology textbookspresent mosses as examples of (1) the most primitiveof plants transitional between algae and ferns and oth-er pteridophytes and (2) the principle of lsquolsquoalternationof generationsrsquorsquo Once you have read Gathering Mossyour image of this neglected group will be consider-ably broadened
This slim volume consists of a series of 20 briefessays Robin Kimmerer a botanist and the author ofnumerous publications on mosses in The Bryologistand other scientific journals also happens to be of Pot-awatomi heritage She is thus able to combine her sci-entific training and botanical knowledge with the in-digenous lsquolsquoways of knowingrsquorsquo including emotion andspirit as well as mind and body
Most essays begin with a folksy account of someevent in the authorrsquos personal life such as a foray intothe woods with her daughters in the Adirondacks oran interchange between herself and a neighbor In eachcase there is seamlessly woven into her account someaspect of mosses their diversity ecology or physiol-ogy One essay lsquolsquoThe Web of Reciprocity IndigenousUses of Mossrsquorsquo surveys some of the every-day waysthat Native peoples have used mosses
Although not intended as a field guide many ex-cellent pen-and-ink drawings illustrating various spe-cies of mosses are scattered throughout The bibliog-raphy includes references on economic aspects ofmosses as well as those on moss identification
After you read this book I predict that you willnever again think of mosses as insignificant or super-fluous It is hoped that this book Professor Kimmererrsquosfirst will not be her last
THOMAS E HEMMERLY
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
MURFREESBORO TN 37132THEMMERLMTSUEDU
A Global Compendium of Weeds Randall R P2002 R G amp F J Richardson PO Box 42 Mer-edith Victoria 3333 Australia distributed by Mis-souri Botanical Garden Press PO Box 299 StLouis MO 63166 wwwmbgpresscom xxxii 1905 pp (hardcover) US$ 99 1 shipping amp han-dling ISBN 0-9587439-8-3
The source material of this lsquolsquoencyclopediarsquorsquo is everybook pamphlet journal article personal communica-tion and website the author could find There are near-ly 300 of these listed in Table 1 pages viiindashxxvii Theyare arbitrarily numbered 1ndash300 in no discernible pat-tern with a half dozen lsquolsquovacantrsquorsquo These are highlyvariable in their quality obviously We have for ex-ample Royer and Dickinson 1999 lsquolsquoWeeds of Canadaand the Northern United Statesrsquorsquo a scholarly workNumber 299 on the list but also Number 281 on thelist lsquolsquoPrincipales Malezas de Centro America y El Ca-ribe Controladas con Rounduprsquorsquo So far as I know thisherbicide kills every plant it touches so this referenceis surely not a critical source of information But forgood or ill there it is make of it what you will
Randall is quite aware that websites (abundantly cit-ed) come and go and he warns the reader accordinglyIt is characteristic of the approach this book takes thathe also tells the reader how to do a Google search
Therersquos a striking picture on the cover It looks likesome kind of lsquolsquocreature from the Black Lagoonrsquorsquo It isin fact Lavandula stoechas (Lamiaceae) and it is re-peated on the title page There are two other illustra-tions Phalaris aquatica (Poaceae) on xxxi and Pa-paver somniferum on p 761 These images are iden-tified on the back of the title page but not particular-ized as to page number
The body of the text is an alphabetical listing byscientific names with abundant synonymy and crossreferences with associated family name and some-times more than one family name when the expertsdonrsquot agree An unusual and most helpful feature is thecitation of common names in what appear to be dozensof languages rendered into Roman script For exam-ple under Alopecurus aequalis (Poaceae) we havelsquoshort-awned foxtailrsquo lsquoorange foxtail lsquomarsh foxtailrsquoand lsquorantapuntarpaarsquo I have no idea what languagethat last one is transcribed from and thatrsquos preciselywhat will make this book so useful to botanists of allstripes here at last is a source to look up obscure com-mon names Most helpfully all names are included inan exhaustive alphabetical index pp 763ndash905
As is typical of books on weeds this one offers nodefinition of the term If somebody somewhere forsome reason called it a lsquolsquoweedrsquorsquo then itrsquos here As aresult specialists will wonder at the inclusion of somenames but I doubt he has made any significant exclu-sions He claims there are 20 672 entries of scientific
2004] 495BOOK REVIEWS
names and 27 108 common names and I believe himHis sources of information for each entry are given bythe arbitrary numbering system mentioned above
The previous lsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo on weeds wasHolm et al lsquolsquoA Geographical Atlas of World Weedsrsquorsquo1979 with a reprint edition in 1991 it listed 6400species Randallrsquos book bids fair to become the newlsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
Wheat Ecology and Physiology of Yield Determi-nation Satorre Emilio H and Gustavo A Slafereds 1999 Food Products Press an imprint of TheHaworth Press Inc 10 Alice Street BinghamtonNY 13904 xx 1 503 pp (paperback) US$ 125(hardcover) US$ 5995 (paperback) ISBN1-56022-874-1 (hardcover) ISBN 1-56022-875-X(paperback printing 2000)
The editors have marshaled experts from around theworld to write 19 chapters on improving wheat yieldsThese are organized into four parts Wheat PhysiologyWheat Ecology Wheat Production Systems andBreeding to Further Raise Wheat Yields The result isa kind of updated textbook on agronomy of cultivatedwheat There is nothing on the evolution of the speciesunder the hand of mankindmdashthatrsquos not the intent
There is an enormous investigational base for awork of this kind because wheat is the most widelygrown crop in the world approximately one-sixth ofthe worldrsquos total arable land is cultivated with wheatAs evidence of how vast the literature is one needonly look at the references cited at the end of eachchaptermdashI was struck by the fact that all cited papersand books are in English with no hint of anything inFrench German Russian or Spanish
The editors included their own introductory chapterwherein they point out that there are over 300 000plant species but only 24 of these are used as cropsto satisfy most human requirements for food and fiberFor the first 50 years of the twentieth century yieldsincreased dramatically because more and more landwas brought into production but yields per hectarewere essentially flat Dramatic increases in yield perhectare came about with large increases in researchbut for the last decade or so yields have leveled offeven as human populations have continued to growdramatically The contributing authors have all pointedout where more information is needed and the bookis probably already being used to shape future researchprograms
This is not a symposium volume and the editors areto be congratulated for having taken the time to com-
pile an extensive author index as well as a thoroughsubject index As a result one can find (for example)where antibiosis and antixenosis are covered in thebook not to mention lsquolsquochromosome engineeringrsquorsquo andlsquolsquoslugsrsquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
North American Wildland Plants A Field GuideStubbendieck James Stephan L Hatch and L MLandholt 2003 University of Nebraska Press 233North 8th Street Lincoln Nebraska xiv 1 501 pp(paperback) US$ 3000 ISBN 0-8032-9306-2
This new volume the sixth edition of North Amer-ican Range Plants (Stubbendieck 1986) is a welcomeaddition to the bookshelf of any rangeland ecologist ornatural resource specialist Focusing primarily onplants of the Great Plains the book describes about200 common rangeland plants The taxonomic layoutis organized into four classifications grasses (whichmake up about half the taxa) grass-like plants forbsand woody plants Distribution maps vernacular andscientific names habit descriptions and detailed leaffloral and fruit characteristics are included in the neat-ly arranged text Additional plant information includ-ing historic uses value as forage for livestock andgeneral habitat greatly increase the bookrsquos potentialappeal
Beautifully drawn illustrations with details and ex-planations of particularly significant morphologicalstructures are presented alongside the species descrip-tions for easy cross-reference in the field Illustratedglossaries near the front of the book provide a conciseand comprehensive background for those less familiarwith technical terminology The book also contains atext-only glossary and an authorities section that de-tails the authorrsquos citations
All in all it is a thorough painstakingly researchedbook of proven valuemdashhence the many editions Thatraises the question lsquolsquoWhy change the title after allthese yearsrsquorsquo
LITERATURE CITED
Stubbendieck J S L Hatch and K J Hirsch1986 North American range plants 5th ed Uni-versity of Nebraska Press Lincoln NE
GREGORY GUST
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
PO BOX 299ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63166-0299
496 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
PhytoChem Australia A Database on AustralianPlant Chemistry 1940ndash2000 [CD-ROM] CollinsD J and C C J Culvenor 2003 CSIRO Pub-lishing PO Box 1139 URL wwwpublishcsiroau Collingwood Vic 3066 Australia AU$29500 ISBN 0643066322
As scientists we use databases on a daily basis tosort data and locate references We also occasionallyconstruct our own databases to help solve researchproblems Large cross-referenced books indices andcyclopedias were the original databases but PCs andnew software have made the database more availableand more useful the Internet has also made many ofthese databases accessible on-line
In natural products chemistry the study of theknown chemical composition of a plant begins withdatabase reference searches There are some searchabledatabases like NAPRALERT that are incredibly com-prehensive and constantly updatedmdashbut expensive fora well-researched plant Chemical Abstracts BiosisMedline and the various academic journal databasesall index differently and to get a comprehensiveknowledge of the previous phytochemical work on agiven plant several searches in many databases are re-quired None of these databases are perfect There alsoremain many professional journals not indexed bythese databases which tend to have an American orEuropean slant The PhytoChem Australia CD-ROMhas been released to fill this void as a useful tool forfinding phytochemical information and references onAustralian plants It is intended for those investigatinglsquolsquoagriculture pharmacy toxicology and Aboriginalstudiesrsquorsquo and contains over 2700 references publishedbetween 1940 and 2000 For anyone searching for phy-tochemical information on a plant known to be Aus-tralian in origin this will likely be an indispensabledatabase for references Those working on plants thatare pantropical may also find this database useful inthat many Australian journals not indexed by other da-tabases are included In addition to the ability to searchby family genus or species the authors have includedPDF files with the complete bibliography as well asauthor and plant indices
A functional database is much more than a compi-lation of information however and to be useful itmust transcend the collection of information to provideeasy access We are accustomed to very lsquolsquoclickablersquorsquowebsites and databases that are easy to use so anydatabase entering this arena must be as user-friendlyas possible I found some of the search mechanismssomewhat awkward and the instructions a bit lackingThe drop-down menus for a species will only appearif a genus is selected and likewise the genus drop-down menu will only operate if a family is selectedWhile this isnrsquot a serious problem if you are unsureof a family relationship or the correct spelling you arenot given any help in locating information This is
made more frustrating by the fact that you must alwayschoose lsquolsquoHigher Plantsrsquorsquo from the Plant Type in orderto get a family list I couldnrsquot see the utility of thisfield Among the Algae Bacteria Fungi and Lichencategories there were only 63 total families added tothe database A simpler design would allow the useraccess to drop-down menus without having selected ahigher taxonomic level Search results can be sortedby date or publication but not by author or title Onecan also search the database by compound and com-pound type but no search can be refinedmdashin order torefine a search one must re-enter all plant informationagain
The lsquolsquoCompound Typersquorsquo field is a long and confus-ing-looking list I found a lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo category (10hits) and a lsquolsquoflavonoidsrsquorsquo category (1 hit) There were21 flavonoid subcategories but they unfortunately donot all fall within the general lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo categoryThe additional subcategories could be very helpful butit apparently means that 23 searches would have to beperformed to be sure you are getting all the flavonoidinformation for a plantmdashand each time the plant namewould have to be re-entered The alkaloid subdivisionsfar outnumber the flavonoid subdivisions In a wordcumbersome Another strange detail is the fact thatmost of the journal names are abbreviatedmdashand notabbreviated consistently I saw no reason for not in-cluding the whole journal name I foundlsquolsquoJEthnopharmacologyrsquorsquo (1 hit) and JEthnopharmacol(2 hits) in the drop-down menu and the searchlsquolsquojethnorsquorsquo returned all 3 hits while lsquolsquoJournal of Eth-nopharmacologyrsquorsquo returned no hits
One of the beauties of a database like this howeveris the ability to update and change the information Asit comes the database is protected but designerrsquos con-tact information is included for those wishing to cus-tomize their database Of course it also means that theauthors can continue to update the information andwork out the design flaws for future editions Hope-fully they will It would be well worth the effort
KURT ALLERSLEV REYNERTSON
CUNY PLANT SCIENCES
BRONX NY 10468KREYNERTLEHMANCUNYEDU
Medicinal Plants of the World An Illustrated Sci-entific Guide to Important Medicinal Plants andTheir Uses Van Wyk Ben-Erik and MichaelWink 2004 Timber Press Inc The HaseltineBuilding 133 SW Second Ave Suite 450 Port-land OR 97204 480 pp (hardcover) US$ 3995ISBN 0-88192-602-7
Readers may recognize van Wykrsquos name as the au-thor of Peoplersquos Plants A Guide to Useful Plants ofSouthern Africa (review 55(4)580ndash581) This is a dif-
2004] 497BOOK REVIEWS
ferent contribution by him in partnership with anothercollaborator Van Wyk is a professor of botany at theRand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg while Mi-chael Wink is professor of pharmaceutical biology atthe University of Heidelberg
This book is introduced by a Preface Introductionan abbreviated discussion of world medical systems alist of plant parts used in medicines dosage forms useof medicinal plant products active ingredients qualityand safety efficacy of medicinal plant products andregulation of herbal remedies and phytomedicinesFollowing this are the selected 320 species in alpha-betical order For each species there is a half pagecolor photograph or sometimes two to four Text givesthe scientific name selected English common name(s)a description comments on origins parts used thera-peutic category uses and properties preparation anddosage active ingredients pharmacological effectsnotes and status In smaller font at the bottom of eachpage is the Latin name with authority the family andcommon names in up to four other European languag-es Next are discussions of health disorders and me-dicinal plants an overview of secondary metabolitesand their effects and a lsquolsquoQuick guide to commercial-ised medicinal plantsrsquorsquo that includes more than 900species Finally there is a glossary a list of furtherreading and a general index
The photographs themselves are of extremely highquality and many were taken by the authors Otherswere taken by colleagues who are listed at the end ofthe book (pp 479ndash480) In addition to the main spe-cies discussed there are sometimes photographs of re-lated species For example in addition to Zea maysthere is a photo of Secale cereale This grass is illus-trated because rye pollen sometimes comprises up to92 of what is sold as lsquolsquomaize pollenrsquorsquo
This is one more book from Timber Press that addsto their growing roster of dishonest titles While it istrue that the volume contains plants from around theworld it is not a compendium of lsquolsquoMedicinal Plants ofthe Worldrsquorsquo The true nature of the book appears in thehonest subtitle and in the authorsrsquo preface (p 6) Toobad Timber Press no longer uses titles that reflect thecontent of their books
Still the clear emphasis of this book is Europeanplants There is but a smattering of American AfricanAsian and Australian species The correct emphasis iseasily learned from the common names EnglishFrench German Italian and Spanish None are in Por-tuguese perhaps the third most abundantly used Eu-ropean language in the New World lsquolsquoNeemrsquorsquo is thename of East Indian origin for Azadirachta indica inspite of the fact that it has dozens of others in India(cf Watt 1889 Parrotta 2001)
In spite of my negative comments is this a bookthat people should buy Absolutely unreservedly yesAt the price the book is worth it simply for the pho-tographs Add to that the authoritative text and thecompact lsquolsquoquick guidersquorsquo and it is a real bargain
LITERATURE CITED
Watt George 1889 A dictionary of the economicproducts of India Reprinted 1972 by Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehra Dun India (see VolV211ndash221)
Parrotta John A 2001 Healing plants of peninsularIndia CABI Publishing New York NY
DANIEL F AUSTIN
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM
TUCSON AZ 85743DAUSTINDESERTMUSEUMORG
490 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
class that are the source of most of the reported bio-logical activity) in the most depth This book includeschapters on Pueraria isoflavonoid biosynthesis mam-malian metabolism and specific pharmacological ac-tivities The index is helpful for locating chemicalcompounds and biological activity but ethnobotanistsand economic botanists trying to locate information ontraditional and economic uses will find the index ofalmost no value This volume contains many excellentchapters that will be of most value for university li-braries and natural products researchers interested inthe potential of Pueraria as a science based therapeuticagent
EDWARD M CROOM JRUNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
OXFORD MS 38655EDWARDCROOMINFO
Magnolia The Genus Magnolia Sarker Satyajit Dand Yuji Maruyama eds 2002 Medicinal and Ar-omatic PlantsmdashIndustrial Profiles Vol 28 Hard-man Roland ed Taylor amp Francis 11 New FetterLane London EC4P 4EE UK xii 1 187 pp(hardcover) US$ 12995 ISBN 0-415-28494-5
For many botanists in the West the chemistry andbiological activity of the genus Magnolia remains to-tally unknown even though it was used by NativeAmericans and others in the Southeastern UnitedStates However in Traditional Chinese Medicine andTCMrsquos close Japanese cousin Kampo medicine Mag-nolia is well known as an ingredient in formulas totreat many illnesses The beauty of this book residesin the clarity and logical organization that make learn-ing about the traditional uses phytochemistry biolog-ical activity and pharmacology as well as quality con-trol and native distribution and cultivation of Magnoliaspecies a pleasant educational adventure The verythorough index is also so well organized that one canfind selected topics concerning individual species orspecific biological activities in an instant
This book is so good a compilation of the currentknowledge concerning the health related informationon the genus Magnolia that it is simply elegant I rec-ommend this book for anyone who is interested inMagnolia as a therapeutic agent Both the editors andthe authors are to be commended for their intelligentand thoughtful contribution to the scientific literatureThis volume could serve as a model for any of us onhow to edit and write a concise reference work
EDWARD M CROOM JRUNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
OXFORD MS 38655EDWARDCROOMINFO
Flora of China Vol 6 Caryophyllaceae throughLardizabalaceae Wu Zheng-yi Peter H Ravenet al eds 2002 Science Press 16 Donghuang-chenggen North Street Beijing 100717 China andMissouri Botanical Garden Press 4344 ShawBlvd St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 512 pp(hardcover) US$ 10000 ISBN 0-915279-05-9
The Flora of China (FOC) series is an up-to-dateEnglish-language revision of the Flora Republicae Po-pularis Sinicae (FRPS) Once completed the approx-imately 30 000 species of native naturalized and ex-otic economically important vascular plants found inChina will be described in 24 volumes (including a25th supplementary volume containing a cumulativeindex for all the volumes) This revision continues asan important endeavor because the rich flora of Chinahas contributed many economically important speciesincluding those used for food medicine and ornamen-tal purposes
FOC organizes the sequence of families by a mod-ified Englerian system Dichotomous keys throughspecies level and in some cases infraspecies followfamily descriptions Care has been taken to list syno-nyms only after they are checked to be correctly iden-tified and used in other major East Asian floras andwith the author names and bibliographical citation forbasionyms and author names only for synonyms
All the FOC volumes conveniently include four in-dexes 1) Chinese character names sorted by brushstrokes 2) transliteration of Chinese names sorted byHanyu Pinyin 3) scientific names and 4) an index tofamilies in the FOC and FRPS volumes A large mapof China delimiting its provinces and adjacent coun-tries is provided as endpapers
A note regarding the value of having the pinyin in-dex In my research with Vietnamese food plantsmany species introduced by the Chinese not only toVietnam but also to other areas of the United Statesthat is home to large Chinese and Vietnamese popu-lations are known locally by the pinyin name as wellas the Vietnamese name Therefore knowledge of bothcan facilitate identification to the Latin binomial
My original complaint with the flora was the priceof each volume I have since learned it is possible tobuy volume pairs (Text and Illustrations) at a reducedrate of $15000pair That is still expensive but an in-telligent investment for a handsome and valuable in-clusion to the library of any student of the plants ofChina and Asia as well as others interested in florist-ics systematics plant distributions and economic bot-any
FOC Vol 6 treats the Caryophyllaceae (30 genera390 species) Nelumbonaceae (1 species) Nympha-ceae (3 genera 8 species) Cabombaceae (2 genera 2species) Ceratophyllaceae (1 genera 3 species) Eup-teleaceae (1 species) Trochodendraceae (1 species)Tetracentraceae (1 species) Cercidiphyllaceae (1 spe-
2004] 491BOOK REVIEWS
cies) Paeoniaceae (1 genus 15 species) Ranuncula-ceae (38 genera 921 species) Circaeasteraceae (1 spe-cies) and Lardizabalaceae (7 genera 37 species) ofthe 1382 taxa included 60 represented by 8 generaand 832 species are endemic to China
FOC Vol 6 includes nomenclatural novelties in thegenera Anemone Arenaria Clematis and Delphinium
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 6 Caryophylla-ceae through Lardizabalaceae Wu Zheng-yi Pe-ter H Raven et al eds 2003 Science Press 16Donghuangchenggen North Street Beijing 100717China and Missouri Botanical Garden Press POBox 299 St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 446 pp(hardcover) US$ 11500 ISBN 1-930723-25-3
The publication of separate texts and illustrationsvolumes has facilitated the production of richly de-tailed beautiful books These books will be a treasureto those that appreciate beautiful yet accurately de-tailed botanical illustrations The arrangement of illus-trations follows the sequence of taxa represented in thecorresponding text volumes Each taxon is presentedwith its identifying morphological features (flowersfruits leaves etc) However the primary downfall isthe absence of measurements or scales Instead mea-surements for each of the particular parts (flowersfruits leaves etc) are only provided in the taxon de-scriptions in the corresponding text volumes The nu-merous plant parts drawn to different scales on a singlepage further complicate this Therefore though the il-lustrations are excellent without the accompanyingtext their purchase is an aesthetic luxury
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 6 accompanies theFOC Vol 6 published in 2001 The illustrations vol-ume includes 420 figures covering 858 species (thekeys text treats 1382 species) represented in the Car-yophyllaceae (229 species) Nelumbonaceae (1 spe-cies) Nymphaceae (3 species) Cabombaceae (1 spe-cies) Ceratophyllaceae (3 species) Eupteleaceae (1species) Trochodendraceae (1 species) Cercidiphyl-laceae (1 species) Paeoniaceae (12 species) Ranun-culaceae (539 species) Circaeasteraceae (1 species)and Lardizabalaceae (14 species) Tetracentraceaetreated in the text FOC is not illustrated
Flora of China Vol 9 Pittosporaceae through Con-naraceae Wu Zheng-yi Peter H Raven et al eds2003 Science Press 16 DonghuangchenggenNorth Street Beijing 100717 China and MissouriBotanical Garden Press PO Box 299 St LouisMO 63166-0299 xii 1 496 pp (hardcover) US$10000 ISBN 1-930723-14-8
Flora of China (FOC) Vol 9 treats the families Pit-tosporaceae (1 genus 46 species) Hamamelidaceae(18 genera 74 species) Eucommiaceae (1 species)Platanaceae (1 genus 3 species) Rosaceae (55 genera950 species) and Connaraceae (6 genera 9 species)of which 59 are endemic to China
FOC Vol 9 includes nomenclatural novelties in thegenera Cerasus Cotoneaster Crataegus Malus Pa-dus Rosa and Rubus
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 24 Flagellari-aceae through Marantaceae Wu Zheng-yi PeterH Raven et al eds 2002 Science Press 16Donghuangchenggen North Street Beijing 100717China and Missouri Botanical Garden Press POBox 299 St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 449 pp(hardcover) US$ 11500 ISBN 0-930723-00-8
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 24 accompaniesthe FOC Vol 24 published in 2000 which treated1335 species The Vol 24 Illustrations includes 423figures representing 782 species in the Flagellariaceae(1 species) Restionaceae (1 species) Centrolepidaceae(1 species) Xyridaceae (4 species) Eriocaulaceae (19species) Bromeliaceae (3 species) Commelinaceae(34 species) Pontederiaceae (4 species) Philydraceae(1 species) Juncaceae (65 species) Stemonaceae (3species) Liliaceae (430 species) Amaryllidaceae (16species) Taccaceae (6 species) Dioscoreaceae (41 spe-cies) Iridaceae (53 species) Musaceae (6 species)Lowiaceae (1 species) Costaceae (3 species) Zingi-beraceae (53 species) Cannaceae (3 species) and Mar-antaceae (6 species)
MY LIEN T NGUYEN
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIlsquoI AT MANOA
HONOLULU HI 96822MYLIENHAWAIIEDU
Flora of North America North of Mexico Volume4 Caryophyllidae in part Caryophyllales Part1 (pink order) Editorial Committee 2003 OxfordUniversity Press 198 Madison Avenue New YorkNY 10016 xxiv 1 559 pp (hardcover) $12000ISBN 0-19-517389-9
Since publication of the first two in 1993 each newvolume in the Flora of North America North of Mexicoseries has been eagerly anticipated and fondly receivedby botanists working on the continent Volume 4 Mag-noliophyta Caryophyllidae part 1 is the latest in theseries to be published and is destined like those beforeit to be appreciated by botanists for its authoritative-ness and utility Although this volume is the eighth toappear in the series it is only the second (out of a
492 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
projected nineteen) published that deals with dicoty-ledonous families the others to date have focused onfern gymnosperm and monocot taxa It is the first oftwo to deal with the Caryophyllidae and covers tenfamilies included within the order CaryophyllalesPhytolaccaceae Achatocarpaceae Nyctaginaceae Ai-zoaceae Cactaceae Chenopodiaceae AmaranthaceaePortulacaceae Basellaceae and Molluginaceae Cov-erage of these families totals 124 genera and 892 spe-cies
The largest portion of Volume 4 is devoted to theCactaceae accordingly it is a must for those workingin arid parts of North America where member taxapredominate However families such as the Cheno-podiaceae Amaranthaceae and Portulacaceae alsoconstitute a significant portion of the publication andthe widespread distribution of these families acrossNorth America makes the volume invaluable else-where Moreover in keeping with the precedent set byother volumes in the series short but highly informa-tive accounts of each family precede taxonomic treat-ments This arrangement ensures that although partic-ular keys might not prove immediately useful for bot-anists each volume is nevertheless indispensable forthe authoritative summaries provided
For the economic botanist there are many genera ofinterest included From the Cactaceae for examplethere are Carnegiea (saguaro) Lophophora (peyote)Nopalea (nopal) and Opuntia (pricklypear) The Por-tulacaceae includes treatments of Claytonia (spring-beauty) Lewisia Montia and Portulaca (purslane)From the Phytolaccaceae is the genus Phytolacca(pokeweed) And then there are Celosia (cockscomb)and Amaranthus (pigweed amaranth) from the Amar-anthaceae When one finally includes a few of themany species from the Chenopodiaceae that are of eco-nomic importancemdasheg Atriplex (orach saltbush)Beta (beet chard) Chenopodium (goosefoot lambrsquos-quarters quinoa) Kochia Salsola (Russian thistletumbleweed) Sarcobatus (greasewood) Spinacia(spinach) Suaeda (sea-blite)mdashVolume 4 appears as atruly essential reference for botanists and plantsmenworking in North America
As I stated in an earlier review (see Economic Bot-any 54(4)655) I feel a principal fault with the seriesif there is to be one is that there are far too few illus-trations accompanying the text Given the exceptionalquality of those illustrations that are included thisproves to be a persistently disappointing feature in anotherwise flawless series While the botanical descrip-tions included in each volume are certainly clear andconcise the old adage that lsquolsquoa picture speaks a thou-sand wordsrsquorsquo is indeed appropriate here This saidthere are few criticisms to make with regard to thecontent of each volume and this one is no exceptionIt is with eager anticipation then that botanists likemyself will undoubtedly be awaiting the next in theseries to appear
ERIC P BURKHART
SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
EPB6PSUEDU
De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes CD-ROM Fuchs Leonard 1542 Octavo Edition 134Linden Street Oakland CA 94607-2538 US$3000 ISBN 1-59110-051-8
Botanists of all persuasions should allow themselvesthe pleasure of thumbing through Fuchsrsquo herbal Thisherbal is a beautiful scholarly and scientific piece ofbotanical and medical history Fuchs wrote at the timewhen economic botany was an essential component ofmedicine and gardeners raised remedies He used thisbook to take lsquolsquoherbalsrsquorsquo out of the dark ages and intothe Renaissance synthesizing classical texts medievalherbals and new ideas of naturalism and science Thequality of Fuchsrsquo herbal is cited as one of the majorreasons herbal remedies remained a part of mainstreamGerman medicine in the last 500 years and it is thescholarly forerunner of todayrsquos respected CommissionE reports
Karen Reedsrsquo introductory lsquolsquoCommentaryrsquorsquo gives agreat history of Fuchs the herbal and its historicalcontext Reeds tells of the obstacles Fuchs faced in hisquest to create a new type of herbal the Vienna Codex[a much expanded and corrected version of the herbalin three huge volumes] and how Fuchsrsquo first book re-vealed the dangerous mistakes medieval physiciansand apothecaries were making because of transcriptionmistakes in botanical identifications
Functionally the CD-ROM version offers severaltools and options that make this more than just an in-expensive substitute for the lsquolsquoreal bookrsquorsquo At 1frasl10 thecost of the hardback print version it contains highquality images of the entire book in a large Acrobatpdf file The images of the open book are excellentand so realistically detailed that you can actually seefaint crinkles in the paper and the shadows of text fromthe reverse side of the pages
I do have two complaints with the electronic formatFirst there is a confusing array of lsquolsquopagesrsquorsquo and a falsecursor or mouse move can cause you to lsquolsquojumprsquorsquo to dif-ferent sections unintentionally Itrsquos hard to find actualpage numbers from the original text even though theyare used in the index because you must use [different]Adobe Reader lsquolsquoViewrsquorsquo and lsquolsquoPagersquorsquo numbers Secondlyyou must take time to learn how to navigate the text inAdobe Reader Octavorsquos Visual Guide is clear and com-plete but you have to find it It takes time and practiceto learn the commands so you might want to just printout the instructions until you are comfortable with theformat I do recommend that you take the time how-ever since there are many useful and convenient fea-
2004] 493BOOK REVIEWS
tures For instance you can search the text zoom in ona variety of images or text or use the lsquolsquoPagesrsquorsquo tool tobrowse through all of the pages as thumbnail-sized im-ages The lsquolsquoBookmarksrsquorsquo tool reveals a navigable tableof contents which expand contract or highlight partic-ular entries for your own reference
All in all this edition is a great find that you willappreciate more as you use it and become familiar withthe format As a classic landmark masterpiece in bo-tanical history either the CD or the hardcover versionshould be included in your personal or university li-brary
KAROL CHANDLER-EZELL
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63108KAROLEPIWUSTLEDU
Bacterial Disease Resistance in Plants MolecularBiology and Biotechnological Applications Vid-hyasekaran P 2002 The Haworth Press Inc 10Alice Street Binghamton NY 13904 xiv 1 452pp (paperback) US$ 5995 ISBN 1-56022-925-X
Current through the late 1990s this text by a notedauthority in the field does a remarkable job of cov-ering the complex area of plant resistance to bacterialdisease The book is logically organized into 6 majorchapters Molecular Recognition Processes BetweenPlant and Bacterial Pathogens Host Defense Mecha-nisms The Cell WallmdashThe First Barrier and a Sourceof Defense Signal Molecules Active Oxygen SpeciesInducible Plant Proteins Inducible Secondary Metab-olites and the final chapter is Biological ApplicationsMolecular Manipulation of Bacterial Disease Resis-tance References (over 1700) are contained in a blend-ed comprehensive list at the end of the text by authorThis reviewer noted very few errors in text tables orcharts No chemical structures are in the text other thaninitialed protein sequences
The text represents a thorough summary of the ma-jor findings in the six basic areas of plantsrsquo responsesto bacterial invasion Though a few years out of datethe findings are clearly presented in mostly chronolog-ical fashion and serve as an excellent review of thedevelopment of the entire field The author furthermoreinterjects insightful comments from his long career inthe area These often are calls for additional researchinto poorly understood processes such as tylose accu-mulation and early research on hsr and str gene-en-coded proteins The general area of active oxygen spe-cies lacks a discussion of NO Other shortcomings ofthe test are its lack of sufficient coverage of induciblesecondary metabolites (the term alkaloid is not evenin the index) the roles of Ca11 and calmodulin andthe abbreviated treatment given the jasmonatemeth-yljasmonate induction process
This text can be recommended for the researcherwho is seeking an overview of the entire process Itcan also serve as a very readable introduction to thegraduate student just becoming familiar with the areaIt can be recommended for inclusion in the libraries ofdepartments of plant pathology botanyplant physiol-ogy and plant molecular biology
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Breeding Research on Aromatic and MedicinalPlants Johnson Christopher B and ChlodwigFranz eds 2002 Haworth Herbal Press 10 AliceStreet Binghamton NY 13904-1580 xx 1 435 pp(paperback) US$ 4995 ISBN 0-7890-1973-6
This book was co-published simultaneously as theJournal of Herbs Spices and Medicinal Plants 9 (23 and 4) in 2002 and represents papers presented atthe second international conference on lsquolsquoBreeding Re-search on Medicinal and Aromatic Plantsrsquorsquo held inCrete in July of 2000 It is divided into four majorsections Conventional Breeding Biochemistry Bio-technology Molecular Genetics and Physiology Bio-diversity and Conservation of Medicinal and AromaticPlantsrsquo Resources and Economic Ethical and LegalAspects There is a combined topicauthor index thatlacks a comprehensive inclusion of phytochemicalsThe text contains very few errors and has extensivespecific data inserted in numerous maps graphs andtables The editors have done a fine job of organizinga wide array of topics by numerous authors into par-allel text Chapters contain a summary and key wordsintroduction detailed materials and methods (whereapplicable) results and conclusions Each chapter hasits own references listed which this reviewer prefersover a single composite listing at the end of the text
The plants discussed center heavily on Mediterra-nean species and the regionrsquos cultivars phytopatholog-ical considerations and climatehabitats which maylimit the textrsquos utility to North American conditionsthough on occasion North American cultivars are in-cluded as in Buter and Buterrsquos chapter on Hypericumperforatum L and Keskitalorsquos on Tanacetum vulgareL in Finland
Other interesting chapters that digress from the titleinclude Goeschlrsquos lsquolsquoStakes in the evolutionary raceThe economic value of plants for medicinal applica-tionsrsquorsquo Llewelynrsquos lsquolsquoEuropean Plant Intellectual Prop-ertyrsquorsquo and Padusi et al lsquolsquoChallenges and opportunitiesin enhancing the conservation and use of medicinaland aromatic plantsrsquorsquo
This book can be recommended first and foremost
494 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
to those researchers involved with medicinal plantbreeding in the Mediterranean region It may serve asan additional valuable reference in the libraries of oth-ers interested in solving the present dayrsquos dilemmas ofsupply and standardization of medicinal and aromaticplantsrsquo products especially in light of questions ofconservation and the preservation of genetic diversity
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Gathering Moss A Natural and Cultural History ofMosses Kimmerer Robin Wall 2003 OregonState University Press Corvallis viii 1 168 pp(paperback) US$ 1795 ISBN 0-87071-499-6
Letrsquos face it mosses are not generally considered tobe glamorous plants Introductory biology textbookspresent mosses as examples of (1) the most primitiveof plants transitional between algae and ferns and oth-er pteridophytes and (2) the principle of lsquolsquoalternationof generationsrsquorsquo Once you have read Gathering Mossyour image of this neglected group will be consider-ably broadened
This slim volume consists of a series of 20 briefessays Robin Kimmerer a botanist and the author ofnumerous publications on mosses in The Bryologistand other scientific journals also happens to be of Pot-awatomi heritage She is thus able to combine her sci-entific training and botanical knowledge with the in-digenous lsquolsquoways of knowingrsquorsquo including emotion andspirit as well as mind and body
Most essays begin with a folksy account of someevent in the authorrsquos personal life such as a foray intothe woods with her daughters in the Adirondacks oran interchange between herself and a neighbor In eachcase there is seamlessly woven into her account someaspect of mosses their diversity ecology or physiol-ogy One essay lsquolsquoThe Web of Reciprocity IndigenousUses of Mossrsquorsquo surveys some of the every-day waysthat Native peoples have used mosses
Although not intended as a field guide many ex-cellent pen-and-ink drawings illustrating various spe-cies of mosses are scattered throughout The bibliog-raphy includes references on economic aspects ofmosses as well as those on moss identification
After you read this book I predict that you willnever again think of mosses as insignificant or super-fluous It is hoped that this book Professor Kimmererrsquosfirst will not be her last
THOMAS E HEMMERLY
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
MURFREESBORO TN 37132THEMMERLMTSUEDU
A Global Compendium of Weeds Randall R P2002 R G amp F J Richardson PO Box 42 Mer-edith Victoria 3333 Australia distributed by Mis-souri Botanical Garden Press PO Box 299 StLouis MO 63166 wwwmbgpresscom xxxii 1905 pp (hardcover) US$ 99 1 shipping amp han-dling ISBN 0-9587439-8-3
The source material of this lsquolsquoencyclopediarsquorsquo is everybook pamphlet journal article personal communica-tion and website the author could find There are near-ly 300 of these listed in Table 1 pages viiindashxxvii Theyare arbitrarily numbered 1ndash300 in no discernible pat-tern with a half dozen lsquolsquovacantrsquorsquo These are highlyvariable in their quality obviously We have for ex-ample Royer and Dickinson 1999 lsquolsquoWeeds of Canadaand the Northern United Statesrsquorsquo a scholarly workNumber 299 on the list but also Number 281 on thelist lsquolsquoPrincipales Malezas de Centro America y El Ca-ribe Controladas con Rounduprsquorsquo So far as I know thisherbicide kills every plant it touches so this referenceis surely not a critical source of information But forgood or ill there it is make of it what you will
Randall is quite aware that websites (abundantly cit-ed) come and go and he warns the reader accordinglyIt is characteristic of the approach this book takes thathe also tells the reader how to do a Google search
Therersquos a striking picture on the cover It looks likesome kind of lsquolsquocreature from the Black Lagoonrsquorsquo It isin fact Lavandula stoechas (Lamiaceae) and it is re-peated on the title page There are two other illustra-tions Phalaris aquatica (Poaceae) on xxxi and Pa-paver somniferum on p 761 These images are iden-tified on the back of the title page but not particular-ized as to page number
The body of the text is an alphabetical listing byscientific names with abundant synonymy and crossreferences with associated family name and some-times more than one family name when the expertsdonrsquot agree An unusual and most helpful feature is thecitation of common names in what appear to be dozensof languages rendered into Roman script For exam-ple under Alopecurus aequalis (Poaceae) we havelsquoshort-awned foxtailrsquo lsquoorange foxtail lsquomarsh foxtailrsquoand lsquorantapuntarpaarsquo I have no idea what languagethat last one is transcribed from and thatrsquos preciselywhat will make this book so useful to botanists of allstripes here at last is a source to look up obscure com-mon names Most helpfully all names are included inan exhaustive alphabetical index pp 763ndash905
As is typical of books on weeds this one offers nodefinition of the term If somebody somewhere forsome reason called it a lsquolsquoweedrsquorsquo then itrsquos here As aresult specialists will wonder at the inclusion of somenames but I doubt he has made any significant exclu-sions He claims there are 20 672 entries of scientific
2004] 495BOOK REVIEWS
names and 27 108 common names and I believe himHis sources of information for each entry are given bythe arbitrary numbering system mentioned above
The previous lsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo on weeds wasHolm et al lsquolsquoA Geographical Atlas of World Weedsrsquorsquo1979 with a reprint edition in 1991 it listed 6400species Randallrsquos book bids fair to become the newlsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
Wheat Ecology and Physiology of Yield Determi-nation Satorre Emilio H and Gustavo A Slafereds 1999 Food Products Press an imprint of TheHaworth Press Inc 10 Alice Street BinghamtonNY 13904 xx 1 503 pp (paperback) US$ 125(hardcover) US$ 5995 (paperback) ISBN1-56022-874-1 (hardcover) ISBN 1-56022-875-X(paperback printing 2000)
The editors have marshaled experts from around theworld to write 19 chapters on improving wheat yieldsThese are organized into four parts Wheat PhysiologyWheat Ecology Wheat Production Systems andBreeding to Further Raise Wheat Yields The result isa kind of updated textbook on agronomy of cultivatedwheat There is nothing on the evolution of the speciesunder the hand of mankindmdashthatrsquos not the intent
There is an enormous investigational base for awork of this kind because wheat is the most widelygrown crop in the world approximately one-sixth ofthe worldrsquos total arable land is cultivated with wheatAs evidence of how vast the literature is one needonly look at the references cited at the end of eachchaptermdashI was struck by the fact that all cited papersand books are in English with no hint of anything inFrench German Russian or Spanish
The editors included their own introductory chapterwherein they point out that there are over 300 000plant species but only 24 of these are used as cropsto satisfy most human requirements for food and fiberFor the first 50 years of the twentieth century yieldsincreased dramatically because more and more landwas brought into production but yields per hectarewere essentially flat Dramatic increases in yield perhectare came about with large increases in researchbut for the last decade or so yields have leveled offeven as human populations have continued to growdramatically The contributing authors have all pointedout where more information is needed and the bookis probably already being used to shape future researchprograms
This is not a symposium volume and the editors areto be congratulated for having taken the time to com-
pile an extensive author index as well as a thoroughsubject index As a result one can find (for example)where antibiosis and antixenosis are covered in thebook not to mention lsquolsquochromosome engineeringrsquorsquo andlsquolsquoslugsrsquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
North American Wildland Plants A Field GuideStubbendieck James Stephan L Hatch and L MLandholt 2003 University of Nebraska Press 233North 8th Street Lincoln Nebraska xiv 1 501 pp(paperback) US$ 3000 ISBN 0-8032-9306-2
This new volume the sixth edition of North Amer-ican Range Plants (Stubbendieck 1986) is a welcomeaddition to the bookshelf of any rangeland ecologist ornatural resource specialist Focusing primarily onplants of the Great Plains the book describes about200 common rangeland plants The taxonomic layoutis organized into four classifications grasses (whichmake up about half the taxa) grass-like plants forbsand woody plants Distribution maps vernacular andscientific names habit descriptions and detailed leaffloral and fruit characteristics are included in the neat-ly arranged text Additional plant information includ-ing historic uses value as forage for livestock andgeneral habitat greatly increase the bookrsquos potentialappeal
Beautifully drawn illustrations with details and ex-planations of particularly significant morphologicalstructures are presented alongside the species descrip-tions for easy cross-reference in the field Illustratedglossaries near the front of the book provide a conciseand comprehensive background for those less familiarwith technical terminology The book also contains atext-only glossary and an authorities section that de-tails the authorrsquos citations
All in all it is a thorough painstakingly researchedbook of proven valuemdashhence the many editions Thatraises the question lsquolsquoWhy change the title after allthese yearsrsquorsquo
LITERATURE CITED
Stubbendieck J S L Hatch and K J Hirsch1986 North American range plants 5th ed Uni-versity of Nebraska Press Lincoln NE
GREGORY GUST
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
PO BOX 299ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63166-0299
496 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
PhytoChem Australia A Database on AustralianPlant Chemistry 1940ndash2000 [CD-ROM] CollinsD J and C C J Culvenor 2003 CSIRO Pub-lishing PO Box 1139 URL wwwpublishcsiroau Collingwood Vic 3066 Australia AU$29500 ISBN 0643066322
As scientists we use databases on a daily basis tosort data and locate references We also occasionallyconstruct our own databases to help solve researchproblems Large cross-referenced books indices andcyclopedias were the original databases but PCs andnew software have made the database more availableand more useful the Internet has also made many ofthese databases accessible on-line
In natural products chemistry the study of theknown chemical composition of a plant begins withdatabase reference searches There are some searchabledatabases like NAPRALERT that are incredibly com-prehensive and constantly updatedmdashbut expensive fora well-researched plant Chemical Abstracts BiosisMedline and the various academic journal databasesall index differently and to get a comprehensiveknowledge of the previous phytochemical work on agiven plant several searches in many databases are re-quired None of these databases are perfect There alsoremain many professional journals not indexed bythese databases which tend to have an American orEuropean slant The PhytoChem Australia CD-ROMhas been released to fill this void as a useful tool forfinding phytochemical information and references onAustralian plants It is intended for those investigatinglsquolsquoagriculture pharmacy toxicology and Aboriginalstudiesrsquorsquo and contains over 2700 references publishedbetween 1940 and 2000 For anyone searching for phy-tochemical information on a plant known to be Aus-tralian in origin this will likely be an indispensabledatabase for references Those working on plants thatare pantropical may also find this database useful inthat many Australian journals not indexed by other da-tabases are included In addition to the ability to searchby family genus or species the authors have includedPDF files with the complete bibliography as well asauthor and plant indices
A functional database is much more than a compi-lation of information however and to be useful itmust transcend the collection of information to provideeasy access We are accustomed to very lsquolsquoclickablersquorsquowebsites and databases that are easy to use so anydatabase entering this arena must be as user-friendlyas possible I found some of the search mechanismssomewhat awkward and the instructions a bit lackingThe drop-down menus for a species will only appearif a genus is selected and likewise the genus drop-down menu will only operate if a family is selectedWhile this isnrsquot a serious problem if you are unsureof a family relationship or the correct spelling you arenot given any help in locating information This is
made more frustrating by the fact that you must alwayschoose lsquolsquoHigher Plantsrsquorsquo from the Plant Type in orderto get a family list I couldnrsquot see the utility of thisfield Among the Algae Bacteria Fungi and Lichencategories there were only 63 total families added tothe database A simpler design would allow the useraccess to drop-down menus without having selected ahigher taxonomic level Search results can be sortedby date or publication but not by author or title Onecan also search the database by compound and com-pound type but no search can be refinedmdashin order torefine a search one must re-enter all plant informationagain
The lsquolsquoCompound Typersquorsquo field is a long and confus-ing-looking list I found a lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo category (10hits) and a lsquolsquoflavonoidsrsquorsquo category (1 hit) There were21 flavonoid subcategories but they unfortunately donot all fall within the general lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo categoryThe additional subcategories could be very helpful butit apparently means that 23 searches would have to beperformed to be sure you are getting all the flavonoidinformation for a plantmdashand each time the plant namewould have to be re-entered The alkaloid subdivisionsfar outnumber the flavonoid subdivisions In a wordcumbersome Another strange detail is the fact thatmost of the journal names are abbreviatedmdashand notabbreviated consistently I saw no reason for not in-cluding the whole journal name I foundlsquolsquoJEthnopharmacologyrsquorsquo (1 hit) and JEthnopharmacol(2 hits) in the drop-down menu and the searchlsquolsquojethnorsquorsquo returned all 3 hits while lsquolsquoJournal of Eth-nopharmacologyrsquorsquo returned no hits
One of the beauties of a database like this howeveris the ability to update and change the information Asit comes the database is protected but designerrsquos con-tact information is included for those wishing to cus-tomize their database Of course it also means that theauthors can continue to update the information andwork out the design flaws for future editions Hope-fully they will It would be well worth the effort
KURT ALLERSLEV REYNERTSON
CUNY PLANT SCIENCES
BRONX NY 10468KREYNERTLEHMANCUNYEDU
Medicinal Plants of the World An Illustrated Sci-entific Guide to Important Medicinal Plants andTheir Uses Van Wyk Ben-Erik and MichaelWink 2004 Timber Press Inc The HaseltineBuilding 133 SW Second Ave Suite 450 Port-land OR 97204 480 pp (hardcover) US$ 3995ISBN 0-88192-602-7
Readers may recognize van Wykrsquos name as the au-thor of Peoplersquos Plants A Guide to Useful Plants ofSouthern Africa (review 55(4)580ndash581) This is a dif-
2004] 497BOOK REVIEWS
ferent contribution by him in partnership with anothercollaborator Van Wyk is a professor of botany at theRand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg while Mi-chael Wink is professor of pharmaceutical biology atthe University of Heidelberg
This book is introduced by a Preface Introductionan abbreviated discussion of world medical systems alist of plant parts used in medicines dosage forms useof medicinal plant products active ingredients qualityand safety efficacy of medicinal plant products andregulation of herbal remedies and phytomedicinesFollowing this are the selected 320 species in alpha-betical order For each species there is a half pagecolor photograph or sometimes two to four Text givesthe scientific name selected English common name(s)a description comments on origins parts used thera-peutic category uses and properties preparation anddosage active ingredients pharmacological effectsnotes and status In smaller font at the bottom of eachpage is the Latin name with authority the family andcommon names in up to four other European languag-es Next are discussions of health disorders and me-dicinal plants an overview of secondary metabolitesand their effects and a lsquolsquoQuick guide to commercial-ised medicinal plantsrsquorsquo that includes more than 900species Finally there is a glossary a list of furtherreading and a general index
The photographs themselves are of extremely highquality and many were taken by the authors Otherswere taken by colleagues who are listed at the end ofthe book (pp 479ndash480) In addition to the main spe-cies discussed there are sometimes photographs of re-lated species For example in addition to Zea maysthere is a photo of Secale cereale This grass is illus-trated because rye pollen sometimes comprises up to92 of what is sold as lsquolsquomaize pollenrsquorsquo
This is one more book from Timber Press that addsto their growing roster of dishonest titles While it istrue that the volume contains plants from around theworld it is not a compendium of lsquolsquoMedicinal Plants ofthe Worldrsquorsquo The true nature of the book appears in thehonest subtitle and in the authorsrsquo preface (p 6) Toobad Timber Press no longer uses titles that reflect thecontent of their books
Still the clear emphasis of this book is Europeanplants There is but a smattering of American AfricanAsian and Australian species The correct emphasis iseasily learned from the common names EnglishFrench German Italian and Spanish None are in Por-tuguese perhaps the third most abundantly used Eu-ropean language in the New World lsquolsquoNeemrsquorsquo is thename of East Indian origin for Azadirachta indica inspite of the fact that it has dozens of others in India(cf Watt 1889 Parrotta 2001)
In spite of my negative comments is this a bookthat people should buy Absolutely unreservedly yesAt the price the book is worth it simply for the pho-tographs Add to that the authoritative text and thecompact lsquolsquoquick guidersquorsquo and it is a real bargain
LITERATURE CITED
Watt George 1889 A dictionary of the economicproducts of India Reprinted 1972 by Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehra Dun India (see VolV211ndash221)
Parrotta John A 2001 Healing plants of peninsularIndia CABI Publishing New York NY
DANIEL F AUSTIN
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM
TUCSON AZ 85743DAUSTINDESERTMUSEUMORG
2004] 491BOOK REVIEWS
cies) Paeoniaceae (1 genus 15 species) Ranuncula-ceae (38 genera 921 species) Circaeasteraceae (1 spe-cies) and Lardizabalaceae (7 genera 37 species) ofthe 1382 taxa included 60 represented by 8 generaand 832 species are endemic to China
FOC Vol 6 includes nomenclatural novelties in thegenera Anemone Arenaria Clematis and Delphinium
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 6 Caryophylla-ceae through Lardizabalaceae Wu Zheng-yi Pe-ter H Raven et al eds 2003 Science Press 16Donghuangchenggen North Street Beijing 100717China and Missouri Botanical Garden Press POBox 299 St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 446 pp(hardcover) US$ 11500 ISBN 1-930723-25-3
The publication of separate texts and illustrationsvolumes has facilitated the production of richly de-tailed beautiful books These books will be a treasureto those that appreciate beautiful yet accurately de-tailed botanical illustrations The arrangement of illus-trations follows the sequence of taxa represented in thecorresponding text volumes Each taxon is presentedwith its identifying morphological features (flowersfruits leaves etc) However the primary downfall isthe absence of measurements or scales Instead mea-surements for each of the particular parts (flowersfruits leaves etc) are only provided in the taxon de-scriptions in the corresponding text volumes The nu-merous plant parts drawn to different scales on a singlepage further complicate this Therefore though the il-lustrations are excellent without the accompanyingtext their purchase is an aesthetic luxury
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 6 accompanies theFOC Vol 6 published in 2001 The illustrations vol-ume includes 420 figures covering 858 species (thekeys text treats 1382 species) represented in the Car-yophyllaceae (229 species) Nelumbonaceae (1 spe-cies) Nymphaceae (3 species) Cabombaceae (1 spe-cies) Ceratophyllaceae (3 species) Eupteleaceae (1species) Trochodendraceae (1 species) Cercidiphyl-laceae (1 species) Paeoniaceae (12 species) Ranun-culaceae (539 species) Circaeasteraceae (1 species)and Lardizabalaceae (14 species) Tetracentraceaetreated in the text FOC is not illustrated
Flora of China Vol 9 Pittosporaceae through Con-naraceae Wu Zheng-yi Peter H Raven et al eds2003 Science Press 16 DonghuangchenggenNorth Street Beijing 100717 China and MissouriBotanical Garden Press PO Box 299 St LouisMO 63166-0299 xii 1 496 pp (hardcover) US$10000 ISBN 1-930723-14-8
Flora of China (FOC) Vol 9 treats the families Pit-tosporaceae (1 genus 46 species) Hamamelidaceae(18 genera 74 species) Eucommiaceae (1 species)Platanaceae (1 genus 3 species) Rosaceae (55 genera950 species) and Connaraceae (6 genera 9 species)of which 59 are endemic to China
FOC Vol 9 includes nomenclatural novelties in thegenera Cerasus Cotoneaster Crataegus Malus Pa-dus Rosa and Rubus
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 24 Flagellari-aceae through Marantaceae Wu Zheng-yi PeterH Raven et al eds 2002 Science Press 16Donghuangchenggen North Street Beijing 100717China and Missouri Botanical Garden Press POBox 299 St Louis MO 63166-0299 xii 1 449 pp(hardcover) US$ 11500 ISBN 0-930723-00-8
Flora of China Illustrations Vol 24 accompaniesthe FOC Vol 24 published in 2000 which treated1335 species The Vol 24 Illustrations includes 423figures representing 782 species in the Flagellariaceae(1 species) Restionaceae (1 species) Centrolepidaceae(1 species) Xyridaceae (4 species) Eriocaulaceae (19species) Bromeliaceae (3 species) Commelinaceae(34 species) Pontederiaceae (4 species) Philydraceae(1 species) Juncaceae (65 species) Stemonaceae (3species) Liliaceae (430 species) Amaryllidaceae (16species) Taccaceae (6 species) Dioscoreaceae (41 spe-cies) Iridaceae (53 species) Musaceae (6 species)Lowiaceae (1 species) Costaceae (3 species) Zingi-beraceae (53 species) Cannaceae (3 species) and Mar-antaceae (6 species)
MY LIEN T NGUYEN
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIlsquoI AT MANOA
HONOLULU HI 96822MYLIENHAWAIIEDU
Flora of North America North of Mexico Volume4 Caryophyllidae in part Caryophyllales Part1 (pink order) Editorial Committee 2003 OxfordUniversity Press 198 Madison Avenue New YorkNY 10016 xxiv 1 559 pp (hardcover) $12000ISBN 0-19-517389-9
Since publication of the first two in 1993 each newvolume in the Flora of North America North of Mexicoseries has been eagerly anticipated and fondly receivedby botanists working on the continent Volume 4 Mag-noliophyta Caryophyllidae part 1 is the latest in theseries to be published and is destined like those beforeit to be appreciated by botanists for its authoritative-ness and utility Although this volume is the eighth toappear in the series it is only the second (out of a
492 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
projected nineteen) published that deals with dicoty-ledonous families the others to date have focused onfern gymnosperm and monocot taxa It is the first oftwo to deal with the Caryophyllidae and covers tenfamilies included within the order CaryophyllalesPhytolaccaceae Achatocarpaceae Nyctaginaceae Ai-zoaceae Cactaceae Chenopodiaceae AmaranthaceaePortulacaceae Basellaceae and Molluginaceae Cov-erage of these families totals 124 genera and 892 spe-cies
The largest portion of Volume 4 is devoted to theCactaceae accordingly it is a must for those workingin arid parts of North America where member taxapredominate However families such as the Cheno-podiaceae Amaranthaceae and Portulacaceae alsoconstitute a significant portion of the publication andthe widespread distribution of these families acrossNorth America makes the volume invaluable else-where Moreover in keeping with the precedent set byother volumes in the series short but highly informa-tive accounts of each family precede taxonomic treat-ments This arrangement ensures that although partic-ular keys might not prove immediately useful for bot-anists each volume is nevertheless indispensable forthe authoritative summaries provided
For the economic botanist there are many genera ofinterest included From the Cactaceae for examplethere are Carnegiea (saguaro) Lophophora (peyote)Nopalea (nopal) and Opuntia (pricklypear) The Por-tulacaceae includes treatments of Claytonia (spring-beauty) Lewisia Montia and Portulaca (purslane)From the Phytolaccaceae is the genus Phytolacca(pokeweed) And then there are Celosia (cockscomb)and Amaranthus (pigweed amaranth) from the Amar-anthaceae When one finally includes a few of themany species from the Chenopodiaceae that are of eco-nomic importancemdasheg Atriplex (orach saltbush)Beta (beet chard) Chenopodium (goosefoot lambrsquos-quarters quinoa) Kochia Salsola (Russian thistletumbleweed) Sarcobatus (greasewood) Spinacia(spinach) Suaeda (sea-blite)mdashVolume 4 appears as atruly essential reference for botanists and plantsmenworking in North America
As I stated in an earlier review (see Economic Bot-any 54(4)655) I feel a principal fault with the seriesif there is to be one is that there are far too few illus-trations accompanying the text Given the exceptionalquality of those illustrations that are included thisproves to be a persistently disappointing feature in anotherwise flawless series While the botanical descrip-tions included in each volume are certainly clear andconcise the old adage that lsquolsquoa picture speaks a thou-sand wordsrsquorsquo is indeed appropriate here This saidthere are few criticisms to make with regard to thecontent of each volume and this one is no exceptionIt is with eager anticipation then that botanists likemyself will undoubtedly be awaiting the next in theseries to appear
ERIC P BURKHART
SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
EPB6PSUEDU
De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes CD-ROM Fuchs Leonard 1542 Octavo Edition 134Linden Street Oakland CA 94607-2538 US$3000 ISBN 1-59110-051-8
Botanists of all persuasions should allow themselvesthe pleasure of thumbing through Fuchsrsquo herbal Thisherbal is a beautiful scholarly and scientific piece ofbotanical and medical history Fuchs wrote at the timewhen economic botany was an essential component ofmedicine and gardeners raised remedies He used thisbook to take lsquolsquoherbalsrsquorsquo out of the dark ages and intothe Renaissance synthesizing classical texts medievalherbals and new ideas of naturalism and science Thequality of Fuchsrsquo herbal is cited as one of the majorreasons herbal remedies remained a part of mainstreamGerman medicine in the last 500 years and it is thescholarly forerunner of todayrsquos respected CommissionE reports
Karen Reedsrsquo introductory lsquolsquoCommentaryrsquorsquo gives agreat history of Fuchs the herbal and its historicalcontext Reeds tells of the obstacles Fuchs faced in hisquest to create a new type of herbal the Vienna Codex[a much expanded and corrected version of the herbalin three huge volumes] and how Fuchsrsquo first book re-vealed the dangerous mistakes medieval physiciansand apothecaries were making because of transcriptionmistakes in botanical identifications
Functionally the CD-ROM version offers severaltools and options that make this more than just an in-expensive substitute for the lsquolsquoreal bookrsquorsquo At 1frasl10 thecost of the hardback print version it contains highquality images of the entire book in a large Acrobatpdf file The images of the open book are excellentand so realistically detailed that you can actually seefaint crinkles in the paper and the shadows of text fromthe reverse side of the pages
I do have two complaints with the electronic formatFirst there is a confusing array of lsquolsquopagesrsquorsquo and a falsecursor or mouse move can cause you to lsquolsquojumprsquorsquo to dif-ferent sections unintentionally Itrsquos hard to find actualpage numbers from the original text even though theyare used in the index because you must use [different]Adobe Reader lsquolsquoViewrsquorsquo and lsquolsquoPagersquorsquo numbers Secondlyyou must take time to learn how to navigate the text inAdobe Reader Octavorsquos Visual Guide is clear and com-plete but you have to find it It takes time and practiceto learn the commands so you might want to just printout the instructions until you are comfortable with theformat I do recommend that you take the time how-ever since there are many useful and convenient fea-
2004] 493BOOK REVIEWS
tures For instance you can search the text zoom in ona variety of images or text or use the lsquolsquoPagesrsquorsquo tool tobrowse through all of the pages as thumbnail-sized im-ages The lsquolsquoBookmarksrsquorsquo tool reveals a navigable tableof contents which expand contract or highlight partic-ular entries for your own reference
All in all this edition is a great find that you willappreciate more as you use it and become familiar withthe format As a classic landmark masterpiece in bo-tanical history either the CD or the hardcover versionshould be included in your personal or university li-brary
KAROL CHANDLER-EZELL
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63108KAROLEPIWUSTLEDU
Bacterial Disease Resistance in Plants MolecularBiology and Biotechnological Applications Vid-hyasekaran P 2002 The Haworth Press Inc 10Alice Street Binghamton NY 13904 xiv 1 452pp (paperback) US$ 5995 ISBN 1-56022-925-X
Current through the late 1990s this text by a notedauthority in the field does a remarkable job of cov-ering the complex area of plant resistance to bacterialdisease The book is logically organized into 6 majorchapters Molecular Recognition Processes BetweenPlant and Bacterial Pathogens Host Defense Mecha-nisms The Cell WallmdashThe First Barrier and a Sourceof Defense Signal Molecules Active Oxygen SpeciesInducible Plant Proteins Inducible Secondary Metab-olites and the final chapter is Biological ApplicationsMolecular Manipulation of Bacterial Disease Resis-tance References (over 1700) are contained in a blend-ed comprehensive list at the end of the text by authorThis reviewer noted very few errors in text tables orcharts No chemical structures are in the text other thaninitialed protein sequences
The text represents a thorough summary of the ma-jor findings in the six basic areas of plantsrsquo responsesto bacterial invasion Though a few years out of datethe findings are clearly presented in mostly chronolog-ical fashion and serve as an excellent review of thedevelopment of the entire field The author furthermoreinterjects insightful comments from his long career inthe area These often are calls for additional researchinto poorly understood processes such as tylose accu-mulation and early research on hsr and str gene-en-coded proteins The general area of active oxygen spe-cies lacks a discussion of NO Other shortcomings ofthe test are its lack of sufficient coverage of induciblesecondary metabolites (the term alkaloid is not evenin the index) the roles of Ca11 and calmodulin andthe abbreviated treatment given the jasmonatemeth-yljasmonate induction process
This text can be recommended for the researcherwho is seeking an overview of the entire process Itcan also serve as a very readable introduction to thegraduate student just becoming familiar with the areaIt can be recommended for inclusion in the libraries ofdepartments of plant pathology botanyplant physiol-ogy and plant molecular biology
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Breeding Research on Aromatic and MedicinalPlants Johnson Christopher B and ChlodwigFranz eds 2002 Haworth Herbal Press 10 AliceStreet Binghamton NY 13904-1580 xx 1 435 pp(paperback) US$ 4995 ISBN 0-7890-1973-6
This book was co-published simultaneously as theJournal of Herbs Spices and Medicinal Plants 9 (23 and 4) in 2002 and represents papers presented atthe second international conference on lsquolsquoBreeding Re-search on Medicinal and Aromatic Plantsrsquorsquo held inCrete in July of 2000 It is divided into four majorsections Conventional Breeding Biochemistry Bio-technology Molecular Genetics and Physiology Bio-diversity and Conservation of Medicinal and AromaticPlantsrsquo Resources and Economic Ethical and LegalAspects There is a combined topicauthor index thatlacks a comprehensive inclusion of phytochemicalsThe text contains very few errors and has extensivespecific data inserted in numerous maps graphs andtables The editors have done a fine job of organizinga wide array of topics by numerous authors into par-allel text Chapters contain a summary and key wordsintroduction detailed materials and methods (whereapplicable) results and conclusions Each chapter hasits own references listed which this reviewer prefersover a single composite listing at the end of the text
The plants discussed center heavily on Mediterra-nean species and the regionrsquos cultivars phytopatholog-ical considerations and climatehabitats which maylimit the textrsquos utility to North American conditionsthough on occasion North American cultivars are in-cluded as in Buter and Buterrsquos chapter on Hypericumperforatum L and Keskitalorsquos on Tanacetum vulgareL in Finland
Other interesting chapters that digress from the titleinclude Goeschlrsquos lsquolsquoStakes in the evolutionary raceThe economic value of plants for medicinal applica-tionsrsquorsquo Llewelynrsquos lsquolsquoEuropean Plant Intellectual Prop-ertyrsquorsquo and Padusi et al lsquolsquoChallenges and opportunitiesin enhancing the conservation and use of medicinaland aromatic plantsrsquorsquo
This book can be recommended first and foremost
494 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
to those researchers involved with medicinal plantbreeding in the Mediterranean region It may serve asan additional valuable reference in the libraries of oth-ers interested in solving the present dayrsquos dilemmas ofsupply and standardization of medicinal and aromaticplantsrsquo products especially in light of questions ofconservation and the preservation of genetic diversity
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Gathering Moss A Natural and Cultural History ofMosses Kimmerer Robin Wall 2003 OregonState University Press Corvallis viii 1 168 pp(paperback) US$ 1795 ISBN 0-87071-499-6
Letrsquos face it mosses are not generally considered tobe glamorous plants Introductory biology textbookspresent mosses as examples of (1) the most primitiveof plants transitional between algae and ferns and oth-er pteridophytes and (2) the principle of lsquolsquoalternationof generationsrsquorsquo Once you have read Gathering Mossyour image of this neglected group will be consider-ably broadened
This slim volume consists of a series of 20 briefessays Robin Kimmerer a botanist and the author ofnumerous publications on mosses in The Bryologistand other scientific journals also happens to be of Pot-awatomi heritage She is thus able to combine her sci-entific training and botanical knowledge with the in-digenous lsquolsquoways of knowingrsquorsquo including emotion andspirit as well as mind and body
Most essays begin with a folksy account of someevent in the authorrsquos personal life such as a foray intothe woods with her daughters in the Adirondacks oran interchange between herself and a neighbor In eachcase there is seamlessly woven into her account someaspect of mosses their diversity ecology or physiol-ogy One essay lsquolsquoThe Web of Reciprocity IndigenousUses of Mossrsquorsquo surveys some of the every-day waysthat Native peoples have used mosses
Although not intended as a field guide many ex-cellent pen-and-ink drawings illustrating various spe-cies of mosses are scattered throughout The bibliog-raphy includes references on economic aspects ofmosses as well as those on moss identification
After you read this book I predict that you willnever again think of mosses as insignificant or super-fluous It is hoped that this book Professor Kimmererrsquosfirst will not be her last
THOMAS E HEMMERLY
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
MURFREESBORO TN 37132THEMMERLMTSUEDU
A Global Compendium of Weeds Randall R P2002 R G amp F J Richardson PO Box 42 Mer-edith Victoria 3333 Australia distributed by Mis-souri Botanical Garden Press PO Box 299 StLouis MO 63166 wwwmbgpresscom xxxii 1905 pp (hardcover) US$ 99 1 shipping amp han-dling ISBN 0-9587439-8-3
The source material of this lsquolsquoencyclopediarsquorsquo is everybook pamphlet journal article personal communica-tion and website the author could find There are near-ly 300 of these listed in Table 1 pages viiindashxxvii Theyare arbitrarily numbered 1ndash300 in no discernible pat-tern with a half dozen lsquolsquovacantrsquorsquo These are highlyvariable in their quality obviously We have for ex-ample Royer and Dickinson 1999 lsquolsquoWeeds of Canadaand the Northern United Statesrsquorsquo a scholarly workNumber 299 on the list but also Number 281 on thelist lsquolsquoPrincipales Malezas de Centro America y El Ca-ribe Controladas con Rounduprsquorsquo So far as I know thisherbicide kills every plant it touches so this referenceis surely not a critical source of information But forgood or ill there it is make of it what you will
Randall is quite aware that websites (abundantly cit-ed) come and go and he warns the reader accordinglyIt is characteristic of the approach this book takes thathe also tells the reader how to do a Google search
Therersquos a striking picture on the cover It looks likesome kind of lsquolsquocreature from the Black Lagoonrsquorsquo It isin fact Lavandula stoechas (Lamiaceae) and it is re-peated on the title page There are two other illustra-tions Phalaris aquatica (Poaceae) on xxxi and Pa-paver somniferum on p 761 These images are iden-tified on the back of the title page but not particular-ized as to page number
The body of the text is an alphabetical listing byscientific names with abundant synonymy and crossreferences with associated family name and some-times more than one family name when the expertsdonrsquot agree An unusual and most helpful feature is thecitation of common names in what appear to be dozensof languages rendered into Roman script For exam-ple under Alopecurus aequalis (Poaceae) we havelsquoshort-awned foxtailrsquo lsquoorange foxtail lsquomarsh foxtailrsquoand lsquorantapuntarpaarsquo I have no idea what languagethat last one is transcribed from and thatrsquos preciselywhat will make this book so useful to botanists of allstripes here at last is a source to look up obscure com-mon names Most helpfully all names are included inan exhaustive alphabetical index pp 763ndash905
As is typical of books on weeds this one offers nodefinition of the term If somebody somewhere forsome reason called it a lsquolsquoweedrsquorsquo then itrsquos here As aresult specialists will wonder at the inclusion of somenames but I doubt he has made any significant exclu-sions He claims there are 20 672 entries of scientific
2004] 495BOOK REVIEWS
names and 27 108 common names and I believe himHis sources of information for each entry are given bythe arbitrary numbering system mentioned above
The previous lsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo on weeds wasHolm et al lsquolsquoA Geographical Atlas of World Weedsrsquorsquo1979 with a reprint edition in 1991 it listed 6400species Randallrsquos book bids fair to become the newlsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
Wheat Ecology and Physiology of Yield Determi-nation Satorre Emilio H and Gustavo A Slafereds 1999 Food Products Press an imprint of TheHaworth Press Inc 10 Alice Street BinghamtonNY 13904 xx 1 503 pp (paperback) US$ 125(hardcover) US$ 5995 (paperback) ISBN1-56022-874-1 (hardcover) ISBN 1-56022-875-X(paperback printing 2000)
The editors have marshaled experts from around theworld to write 19 chapters on improving wheat yieldsThese are organized into four parts Wheat PhysiologyWheat Ecology Wheat Production Systems andBreeding to Further Raise Wheat Yields The result isa kind of updated textbook on agronomy of cultivatedwheat There is nothing on the evolution of the speciesunder the hand of mankindmdashthatrsquos not the intent
There is an enormous investigational base for awork of this kind because wheat is the most widelygrown crop in the world approximately one-sixth ofthe worldrsquos total arable land is cultivated with wheatAs evidence of how vast the literature is one needonly look at the references cited at the end of eachchaptermdashI was struck by the fact that all cited papersand books are in English with no hint of anything inFrench German Russian or Spanish
The editors included their own introductory chapterwherein they point out that there are over 300 000plant species but only 24 of these are used as cropsto satisfy most human requirements for food and fiberFor the first 50 years of the twentieth century yieldsincreased dramatically because more and more landwas brought into production but yields per hectarewere essentially flat Dramatic increases in yield perhectare came about with large increases in researchbut for the last decade or so yields have leveled offeven as human populations have continued to growdramatically The contributing authors have all pointedout where more information is needed and the bookis probably already being used to shape future researchprograms
This is not a symposium volume and the editors areto be congratulated for having taken the time to com-
pile an extensive author index as well as a thoroughsubject index As a result one can find (for example)where antibiosis and antixenosis are covered in thebook not to mention lsquolsquochromosome engineeringrsquorsquo andlsquolsquoslugsrsquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
North American Wildland Plants A Field GuideStubbendieck James Stephan L Hatch and L MLandholt 2003 University of Nebraska Press 233North 8th Street Lincoln Nebraska xiv 1 501 pp(paperback) US$ 3000 ISBN 0-8032-9306-2
This new volume the sixth edition of North Amer-ican Range Plants (Stubbendieck 1986) is a welcomeaddition to the bookshelf of any rangeland ecologist ornatural resource specialist Focusing primarily onplants of the Great Plains the book describes about200 common rangeland plants The taxonomic layoutis organized into four classifications grasses (whichmake up about half the taxa) grass-like plants forbsand woody plants Distribution maps vernacular andscientific names habit descriptions and detailed leaffloral and fruit characteristics are included in the neat-ly arranged text Additional plant information includ-ing historic uses value as forage for livestock andgeneral habitat greatly increase the bookrsquos potentialappeal
Beautifully drawn illustrations with details and ex-planations of particularly significant morphologicalstructures are presented alongside the species descrip-tions for easy cross-reference in the field Illustratedglossaries near the front of the book provide a conciseand comprehensive background for those less familiarwith technical terminology The book also contains atext-only glossary and an authorities section that de-tails the authorrsquos citations
All in all it is a thorough painstakingly researchedbook of proven valuemdashhence the many editions Thatraises the question lsquolsquoWhy change the title after allthese yearsrsquorsquo
LITERATURE CITED
Stubbendieck J S L Hatch and K J Hirsch1986 North American range plants 5th ed Uni-versity of Nebraska Press Lincoln NE
GREGORY GUST
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
PO BOX 299ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63166-0299
496 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
PhytoChem Australia A Database on AustralianPlant Chemistry 1940ndash2000 [CD-ROM] CollinsD J and C C J Culvenor 2003 CSIRO Pub-lishing PO Box 1139 URL wwwpublishcsiroau Collingwood Vic 3066 Australia AU$29500 ISBN 0643066322
As scientists we use databases on a daily basis tosort data and locate references We also occasionallyconstruct our own databases to help solve researchproblems Large cross-referenced books indices andcyclopedias were the original databases but PCs andnew software have made the database more availableand more useful the Internet has also made many ofthese databases accessible on-line
In natural products chemistry the study of theknown chemical composition of a plant begins withdatabase reference searches There are some searchabledatabases like NAPRALERT that are incredibly com-prehensive and constantly updatedmdashbut expensive fora well-researched plant Chemical Abstracts BiosisMedline and the various academic journal databasesall index differently and to get a comprehensiveknowledge of the previous phytochemical work on agiven plant several searches in many databases are re-quired None of these databases are perfect There alsoremain many professional journals not indexed bythese databases which tend to have an American orEuropean slant The PhytoChem Australia CD-ROMhas been released to fill this void as a useful tool forfinding phytochemical information and references onAustralian plants It is intended for those investigatinglsquolsquoagriculture pharmacy toxicology and Aboriginalstudiesrsquorsquo and contains over 2700 references publishedbetween 1940 and 2000 For anyone searching for phy-tochemical information on a plant known to be Aus-tralian in origin this will likely be an indispensabledatabase for references Those working on plants thatare pantropical may also find this database useful inthat many Australian journals not indexed by other da-tabases are included In addition to the ability to searchby family genus or species the authors have includedPDF files with the complete bibliography as well asauthor and plant indices
A functional database is much more than a compi-lation of information however and to be useful itmust transcend the collection of information to provideeasy access We are accustomed to very lsquolsquoclickablersquorsquowebsites and databases that are easy to use so anydatabase entering this arena must be as user-friendlyas possible I found some of the search mechanismssomewhat awkward and the instructions a bit lackingThe drop-down menus for a species will only appearif a genus is selected and likewise the genus drop-down menu will only operate if a family is selectedWhile this isnrsquot a serious problem if you are unsureof a family relationship or the correct spelling you arenot given any help in locating information This is
made more frustrating by the fact that you must alwayschoose lsquolsquoHigher Plantsrsquorsquo from the Plant Type in orderto get a family list I couldnrsquot see the utility of thisfield Among the Algae Bacteria Fungi and Lichencategories there were only 63 total families added tothe database A simpler design would allow the useraccess to drop-down menus without having selected ahigher taxonomic level Search results can be sortedby date or publication but not by author or title Onecan also search the database by compound and com-pound type but no search can be refinedmdashin order torefine a search one must re-enter all plant informationagain
The lsquolsquoCompound Typersquorsquo field is a long and confus-ing-looking list I found a lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo category (10hits) and a lsquolsquoflavonoidsrsquorsquo category (1 hit) There were21 flavonoid subcategories but they unfortunately donot all fall within the general lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo categoryThe additional subcategories could be very helpful butit apparently means that 23 searches would have to beperformed to be sure you are getting all the flavonoidinformation for a plantmdashand each time the plant namewould have to be re-entered The alkaloid subdivisionsfar outnumber the flavonoid subdivisions In a wordcumbersome Another strange detail is the fact thatmost of the journal names are abbreviatedmdashand notabbreviated consistently I saw no reason for not in-cluding the whole journal name I foundlsquolsquoJEthnopharmacologyrsquorsquo (1 hit) and JEthnopharmacol(2 hits) in the drop-down menu and the searchlsquolsquojethnorsquorsquo returned all 3 hits while lsquolsquoJournal of Eth-nopharmacologyrsquorsquo returned no hits
One of the beauties of a database like this howeveris the ability to update and change the information Asit comes the database is protected but designerrsquos con-tact information is included for those wishing to cus-tomize their database Of course it also means that theauthors can continue to update the information andwork out the design flaws for future editions Hope-fully they will It would be well worth the effort
KURT ALLERSLEV REYNERTSON
CUNY PLANT SCIENCES
BRONX NY 10468KREYNERTLEHMANCUNYEDU
Medicinal Plants of the World An Illustrated Sci-entific Guide to Important Medicinal Plants andTheir Uses Van Wyk Ben-Erik and MichaelWink 2004 Timber Press Inc The HaseltineBuilding 133 SW Second Ave Suite 450 Port-land OR 97204 480 pp (hardcover) US$ 3995ISBN 0-88192-602-7
Readers may recognize van Wykrsquos name as the au-thor of Peoplersquos Plants A Guide to Useful Plants ofSouthern Africa (review 55(4)580ndash581) This is a dif-
2004] 497BOOK REVIEWS
ferent contribution by him in partnership with anothercollaborator Van Wyk is a professor of botany at theRand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg while Mi-chael Wink is professor of pharmaceutical biology atthe University of Heidelberg
This book is introduced by a Preface Introductionan abbreviated discussion of world medical systems alist of plant parts used in medicines dosage forms useof medicinal plant products active ingredients qualityand safety efficacy of medicinal plant products andregulation of herbal remedies and phytomedicinesFollowing this are the selected 320 species in alpha-betical order For each species there is a half pagecolor photograph or sometimes two to four Text givesthe scientific name selected English common name(s)a description comments on origins parts used thera-peutic category uses and properties preparation anddosage active ingredients pharmacological effectsnotes and status In smaller font at the bottom of eachpage is the Latin name with authority the family andcommon names in up to four other European languag-es Next are discussions of health disorders and me-dicinal plants an overview of secondary metabolitesand their effects and a lsquolsquoQuick guide to commercial-ised medicinal plantsrsquorsquo that includes more than 900species Finally there is a glossary a list of furtherreading and a general index
The photographs themselves are of extremely highquality and many were taken by the authors Otherswere taken by colleagues who are listed at the end ofthe book (pp 479ndash480) In addition to the main spe-cies discussed there are sometimes photographs of re-lated species For example in addition to Zea maysthere is a photo of Secale cereale This grass is illus-trated because rye pollen sometimes comprises up to92 of what is sold as lsquolsquomaize pollenrsquorsquo
This is one more book from Timber Press that addsto their growing roster of dishonest titles While it istrue that the volume contains plants from around theworld it is not a compendium of lsquolsquoMedicinal Plants ofthe Worldrsquorsquo The true nature of the book appears in thehonest subtitle and in the authorsrsquo preface (p 6) Toobad Timber Press no longer uses titles that reflect thecontent of their books
Still the clear emphasis of this book is Europeanplants There is but a smattering of American AfricanAsian and Australian species The correct emphasis iseasily learned from the common names EnglishFrench German Italian and Spanish None are in Por-tuguese perhaps the third most abundantly used Eu-ropean language in the New World lsquolsquoNeemrsquorsquo is thename of East Indian origin for Azadirachta indica inspite of the fact that it has dozens of others in India(cf Watt 1889 Parrotta 2001)
In spite of my negative comments is this a bookthat people should buy Absolutely unreservedly yesAt the price the book is worth it simply for the pho-tographs Add to that the authoritative text and thecompact lsquolsquoquick guidersquorsquo and it is a real bargain
LITERATURE CITED
Watt George 1889 A dictionary of the economicproducts of India Reprinted 1972 by Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehra Dun India (see VolV211ndash221)
Parrotta John A 2001 Healing plants of peninsularIndia CABI Publishing New York NY
DANIEL F AUSTIN
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM
TUCSON AZ 85743DAUSTINDESERTMUSEUMORG
492 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
projected nineteen) published that deals with dicoty-ledonous families the others to date have focused onfern gymnosperm and monocot taxa It is the first oftwo to deal with the Caryophyllidae and covers tenfamilies included within the order CaryophyllalesPhytolaccaceae Achatocarpaceae Nyctaginaceae Ai-zoaceae Cactaceae Chenopodiaceae AmaranthaceaePortulacaceae Basellaceae and Molluginaceae Cov-erage of these families totals 124 genera and 892 spe-cies
The largest portion of Volume 4 is devoted to theCactaceae accordingly it is a must for those workingin arid parts of North America where member taxapredominate However families such as the Cheno-podiaceae Amaranthaceae and Portulacaceae alsoconstitute a significant portion of the publication andthe widespread distribution of these families acrossNorth America makes the volume invaluable else-where Moreover in keeping with the precedent set byother volumes in the series short but highly informa-tive accounts of each family precede taxonomic treat-ments This arrangement ensures that although partic-ular keys might not prove immediately useful for bot-anists each volume is nevertheless indispensable forthe authoritative summaries provided
For the economic botanist there are many genera ofinterest included From the Cactaceae for examplethere are Carnegiea (saguaro) Lophophora (peyote)Nopalea (nopal) and Opuntia (pricklypear) The Por-tulacaceae includes treatments of Claytonia (spring-beauty) Lewisia Montia and Portulaca (purslane)From the Phytolaccaceae is the genus Phytolacca(pokeweed) And then there are Celosia (cockscomb)and Amaranthus (pigweed amaranth) from the Amar-anthaceae When one finally includes a few of themany species from the Chenopodiaceae that are of eco-nomic importancemdasheg Atriplex (orach saltbush)Beta (beet chard) Chenopodium (goosefoot lambrsquos-quarters quinoa) Kochia Salsola (Russian thistletumbleweed) Sarcobatus (greasewood) Spinacia(spinach) Suaeda (sea-blite)mdashVolume 4 appears as atruly essential reference for botanists and plantsmenworking in North America
As I stated in an earlier review (see Economic Bot-any 54(4)655) I feel a principal fault with the seriesif there is to be one is that there are far too few illus-trations accompanying the text Given the exceptionalquality of those illustrations that are included thisproves to be a persistently disappointing feature in anotherwise flawless series While the botanical descrip-tions included in each volume are certainly clear andconcise the old adage that lsquolsquoa picture speaks a thou-sand wordsrsquorsquo is indeed appropriate here This saidthere are few criticisms to make with regard to thecontent of each volume and this one is no exceptionIt is with eager anticipation then that botanists likemyself will undoubtedly be awaiting the next in theseries to appear
ERIC P BURKHART
SCHOOL OF FOREST RESOURCES
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
EPB6PSUEDU
De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes CD-ROM Fuchs Leonard 1542 Octavo Edition 134Linden Street Oakland CA 94607-2538 US$3000 ISBN 1-59110-051-8
Botanists of all persuasions should allow themselvesthe pleasure of thumbing through Fuchsrsquo herbal Thisherbal is a beautiful scholarly and scientific piece ofbotanical and medical history Fuchs wrote at the timewhen economic botany was an essential component ofmedicine and gardeners raised remedies He used thisbook to take lsquolsquoherbalsrsquorsquo out of the dark ages and intothe Renaissance synthesizing classical texts medievalherbals and new ideas of naturalism and science Thequality of Fuchsrsquo herbal is cited as one of the majorreasons herbal remedies remained a part of mainstreamGerman medicine in the last 500 years and it is thescholarly forerunner of todayrsquos respected CommissionE reports
Karen Reedsrsquo introductory lsquolsquoCommentaryrsquorsquo gives agreat history of Fuchs the herbal and its historicalcontext Reeds tells of the obstacles Fuchs faced in hisquest to create a new type of herbal the Vienna Codex[a much expanded and corrected version of the herbalin three huge volumes] and how Fuchsrsquo first book re-vealed the dangerous mistakes medieval physiciansand apothecaries were making because of transcriptionmistakes in botanical identifications
Functionally the CD-ROM version offers severaltools and options that make this more than just an in-expensive substitute for the lsquolsquoreal bookrsquorsquo At 1frasl10 thecost of the hardback print version it contains highquality images of the entire book in a large Acrobatpdf file The images of the open book are excellentand so realistically detailed that you can actually seefaint crinkles in the paper and the shadows of text fromthe reverse side of the pages
I do have two complaints with the electronic formatFirst there is a confusing array of lsquolsquopagesrsquorsquo and a falsecursor or mouse move can cause you to lsquolsquojumprsquorsquo to dif-ferent sections unintentionally Itrsquos hard to find actualpage numbers from the original text even though theyare used in the index because you must use [different]Adobe Reader lsquolsquoViewrsquorsquo and lsquolsquoPagersquorsquo numbers Secondlyyou must take time to learn how to navigate the text inAdobe Reader Octavorsquos Visual Guide is clear and com-plete but you have to find it It takes time and practiceto learn the commands so you might want to just printout the instructions until you are comfortable with theformat I do recommend that you take the time how-ever since there are many useful and convenient fea-
2004] 493BOOK REVIEWS
tures For instance you can search the text zoom in ona variety of images or text or use the lsquolsquoPagesrsquorsquo tool tobrowse through all of the pages as thumbnail-sized im-ages The lsquolsquoBookmarksrsquorsquo tool reveals a navigable tableof contents which expand contract or highlight partic-ular entries for your own reference
All in all this edition is a great find that you willappreciate more as you use it and become familiar withthe format As a classic landmark masterpiece in bo-tanical history either the CD or the hardcover versionshould be included in your personal or university li-brary
KAROL CHANDLER-EZELL
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63108KAROLEPIWUSTLEDU
Bacterial Disease Resistance in Plants MolecularBiology and Biotechnological Applications Vid-hyasekaran P 2002 The Haworth Press Inc 10Alice Street Binghamton NY 13904 xiv 1 452pp (paperback) US$ 5995 ISBN 1-56022-925-X
Current through the late 1990s this text by a notedauthority in the field does a remarkable job of cov-ering the complex area of plant resistance to bacterialdisease The book is logically organized into 6 majorchapters Molecular Recognition Processes BetweenPlant and Bacterial Pathogens Host Defense Mecha-nisms The Cell WallmdashThe First Barrier and a Sourceof Defense Signal Molecules Active Oxygen SpeciesInducible Plant Proteins Inducible Secondary Metab-olites and the final chapter is Biological ApplicationsMolecular Manipulation of Bacterial Disease Resis-tance References (over 1700) are contained in a blend-ed comprehensive list at the end of the text by authorThis reviewer noted very few errors in text tables orcharts No chemical structures are in the text other thaninitialed protein sequences
The text represents a thorough summary of the ma-jor findings in the six basic areas of plantsrsquo responsesto bacterial invasion Though a few years out of datethe findings are clearly presented in mostly chronolog-ical fashion and serve as an excellent review of thedevelopment of the entire field The author furthermoreinterjects insightful comments from his long career inthe area These often are calls for additional researchinto poorly understood processes such as tylose accu-mulation and early research on hsr and str gene-en-coded proteins The general area of active oxygen spe-cies lacks a discussion of NO Other shortcomings ofthe test are its lack of sufficient coverage of induciblesecondary metabolites (the term alkaloid is not evenin the index) the roles of Ca11 and calmodulin andthe abbreviated treatment given the jasmonatemeth-yljasmonate induction process
This text can be recommended for the researcherwho is seeking an overview of the entire process Itcan also serve as a very readable introduction to thegraduate student just becoming familiar with the areaIt can be recommended for inclusion in the libraries ofdepartments of plant pathology botanyplant physiol-ogy and plant molecular biology
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Breeding Research on Aromatic and MedicinalPlants Johnson Christopher B and ChlodwigFranz eds 2002 Haworth Herbal Press 10 AliceStreet Binghamton NY 13904-1580 xx 1 435 pp(paperback) US$ 4995 ISBN 0-7890-1973-6
This book was co-published simultaneously as theJournal of Herbs Spices and Medicinal Plants 9 (23 and 4) in 2002 and represents papers presented atthe second international conference on lsquolsquoBreeding Re-search on Medicinal and Aromatic Plantsrsquorsquo held inCrete in July of 2000 It is divided into four majorsections Conventional Breeding Biochemistry Bio-technology Molecular Genetics and Physiology Bio-diversity and Conservation of Medicinal and AromaticPlantsrsquo Resources and Economic Ethical and LegalAspects There is a combined topicauthor index thatlacks a comprehensive inclusion of phytochemicalsThe text contains very few errors and has extensivespecific data inserted in numerous maps graphs andtables The editors have done a fine job of organizinga wide array of topics by numerous authors into par-allel text Chapters contain a summary and key wordsintroduction detailed materials and methods (whereapplicable) results and conclusions Each chapter hasits own references listed which this reviewer prefersover a single composite listing at the end of the text
The plants discussed center heavily on Mediterra-nean species and the regionrsquos cultivars phytopatholog-ical considerations and climatehabitats which maylimit the textrsquos utility to North American conditionsthough on occasion North American cultivars are in-cluded as in Buter and Buterrsquos chapter on Hypericumperforatum L and Keskitalorsquos on Tanacetum vulgareL in Finland
Other interesting chapters that digress from the titleinclude Goeschlrsquos lsquolsquoStakes in the evolutionary raceThe economic value of plants for medicinal applica-tionsrsquorsquo Llewelynrsquos lsquolsquoEuropean Plant Intellectual Prop-ertyrsquorsquo and Padusi et al lsquolsquoChallenges and opportunitiesin enhancing the conservation and use of medicinaland aromatic plantsrsquorsquo
This book can be recommended first and foremost
494 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
to those researchers involved with medicinal plantbreeding in the Mediterranean region It may serve asan additional valuable reference in the libraries of oth-ers interested in solving the present dayrsquos dilemmas ofsupply and standardization of medicinal and aromaticplantsrsquo products especially in light of questions ofconservation and the preservation of genetic diversity
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Gathering Moss A Natural and Cultural History ofMosses Kimmerer Robin Wall 2003 OregonState University Press Corvallis viii 1 168 pp(paperback) US$ 1795 ISBN 0-87071-499-6
Letrsquos face it mosses are not generally considered tobe glamorous plants Introductory biology textbookspresent mosses as examples of (1) the most primitiveof plants transitional between algae and ferns and oth-er pteridophytes and (2) the principle of lsquolsquoalternationof generationsrsquorsquo Once you have read Gathering Mossyour image of this neglected group will be consider-ably broadened
This slim volume consists of a series of 20 briefessays Robin Kimmerer a botanist and the author ofnumerous publications on mosses in The Bryologistand other scientific journals also happens to be of Pot-awatomi heritage She is thus able to combine her sci-entific training and botanical knowledge with the in-digenous lsquolsquoways of knowingrsquorsquo including emotion andspirit as well as mind and body
Most essays begin with a folksy account of someevent in the authorrsquos personal life such as a foray intothe woods with her daughters in the Adirondacks oran interchange between herself and a neighbor In eachcase there is seamlessly woven into her account someaspect of mosses their diversity ecology or physiol-ogy One essay lsquolsquoThe Web of Reciprocity IndigenousUses of Mossrsquorsquo surveys some of the every-day waysthat Native peoples have used mosses
Although not intended as a field guide many ex-cellent pen-and-ink drawings illustrating various spe-cies of mosses are scattered throughout The bibliog-raphy includes references on economic aspects ofmosses as well as those on moss identification
After you read this book I predict that you willnever again think of mosses as insignificant or super-fluous It is hoped that this book Professor Kimmererrsquosfirst will not be her last
THOMAS E HEMMERLY
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
MURFREESBORO TN 37132THEMMERLMTSUEDU
A Global Compendium of Weeds Randall R P2002 R G amp F J Richardson PO Box 42 Mer-edith Victoria 3333 Australia distributed by Mis-souri Botanical Garden Press PO Box 299 StLouis MO 63166 wwwmbgpresscom xxxii 1905 pp (hardcover) US$ 99 1 shipping amp han-dling ISBN 0-9587439-8-3
The source material of this lsquolsquoencyclopediarsquorsquo is everybook pamphlet journal article personal communica-tion and website the author could find There are near-ly 300 of these listed in Table 1 pages viiindashxxvii Theyare arbitrarily numbered 1ndash300 in no discernible pat-tern with a half dozen lsquolsquovacantrsquorsquo These are highlyvariable in their quality obviously We have for ex-ample Royer and Dickinson 1999 lsquolsquoWeeds of Canadaand the Northern United Statesrsquorsquo a scholarly workNumber 299 on the list but also Number 281 on thelist lsquolsquoPrincipales Malezas de Centro America y El Ca-ribe Controladas con Rounduprsquorsquo So far as I know thisherbicide kills every plant it touches so this referenceis surely not a critical source of information But forgood or ill there it is make of it what you will
Randall is quite aware that websites (abundantly cit-ed) come and go and he warns the reader accordinglyIt is characteristic of the approach this book takes thathe also tells the reader how to do a Google search
Therersquos a striking picture on the cover It looks likesome kind of lsquolsquocreature from the Black Lagoonrsquorsquo It isin fact Lavandula stoechas (Lamiaceae) and it is re-peated on the title page There are two other illustra-tions Phalaris aquatica (Poaceae) on xxxi and Pa-paver somniferum on p 761 These images are iden-tified on the back of the title page but not particular-ized as to page number
The body of the text is an alphabetical listing byscientific names with abundant synonymy and crossreferences with associated family name and some-times more than one family name when the expertsdonrsquot agree An unusual and most helpful feature is thecitation of common names in what appear to be dozensof languages rendered into Roman script For exam-ple under Alopecurus aequalis (Poaceae) we havelsquoshort-awned foxtailrsquo lsquoorange foxtail lsquomarsh foxtailrsquoand lsquorantapuntarpaarsquo I have no idea what languagethat last one is transcribed from and thatrsquos preciselywhat will make this book so useful to botanists of allstripes here at last is a source to look up obscure com-mon names Most helpfully all names are included inan exhaustive alphabetical index pp 763ndash905
As is typical of books on weeds this one offers nodefinition of the term If somebody somewhere forsome reason called it a lsquolsquoweedrsquorsquo then itrsquos here As aresult specialists will wonder at the inclusion of somenames but I doubt he has made any significant exclu-sions He claims there are 20 672 entries of scientific
2004] 495BOOK REVIEWS
names and 27 108 common names and I believe himHis sources of information for each entry are given bythe arbitrary numbering system mentioned above
The previous lsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo on weeds wasHolm et al lsquolsquoA Geographical Atlas of World Weedsrsquorsquo1979 with a reprint edition in 1991 it listed 6400species Randallrsquos book bids fair to become the newlsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
Wheat Ecology and Physiology of Yield Determi-nation Satorre Emilio H and Gustavo A Slafereds 1999 Food Products Press an imprint of TheHaworth Press Inc 10 Alice Street BinghamtonNY 13904 xx 1 503 pp (paperback) US$ 125(hardcover) US$ 5995 (paperback) ISBN1-56022-874-1 (hardcover) ISBN 1-56022-875-X(paperback printing 2000)
The editors have marshaled experts from around theworld to write 19 chapters on improving wheat yieldsThese are organized into four parts Wheat PhysiologyWheat Ecology Wheat Production Systems andBreeding to Further Raise Wheat Yields The result isa kind of updated textbook on agronomy of cultivatedwheat There is nothing on the evolution of the speciesunder the hand of mankindmdashthatrsquos not the intent
There is an enormous investigational base for awork of this kind because wheat is the most widelygrown crop in the world approximately one-sixth ofthe worldrsquos total arable land is cultivated with wheatAs evidence of how vast the literature is one needonly look at the references cited at the end of eachchaptermdashI was struck by the fact that all cited papersand books are in English with no hint of anything inFrench German Russian or Spanish
The editors included their own introductory chapterwherein they point out that there are over 300 000plant species but only 24 of these are used as cropsto satisfy most human requirements for food and fiberFor the first 50 years of the twentieth century yieldsincreased dramatically because more and more landwas brought into production but yields per hectarewere essentially flat Dramatic increases in yield perhectare came about with large increases in researchbut for the last decade or so yields have leveled offeven as human populations have continued to growdramatically The contributing authors have all pointedout where more information is needed and the bookis probably already being used to shape future researchprograms
This is not a symposium volume and the editors areto be congratulated for having taken the time to com-
pile an extensive author index as well as a thoroughsubject index As a result one can find (for example)where antibiosis and antixenosis are covered in thebook not to mention lsquolsquochromosome engineeringrsquorsquo andlsquolsquoslugsrsquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
North American Wildland Plants A Field GuideStubbendieck James Stephan L Hatch and L MLandholt 2003 University of Nebraska Press 233North 8th Street Lincoln Nebraska xiv 1 501 pp(paperback) US$ 3000 ISBN 0-8032-9306-2
This new volume the sixth edition of North Amer-ican Range Plants (Stubbendieck 1986) is a welcomeaddition to the bookshelf of any rangeland ecologist ornatural resource specialist Focusing primarily onplants of the Great Plains the book describes about200 common rangeland plants The taxonomic layoutis organized into four classifications grasses (whichmake up about half the taxa) grass-like plants forbsand woody plants Distribution maps vernacular andscientific names habit descriptions and detailed leaffloral and fruit characteristics are included in the neat-ly arranged text Additional plant information includ-ing historic uses value as forage for livestock andgeneral habitat greatly increase the bookrsquos potentialappeal
Beautifully drawn illustrations with details and ex-planations of particularly significant morphologicalstructures are presented alongside the species descrip-tions for easy cross-reference in the field Illustratedglossaries near the front of the book provide a conciseand comprehensive background for those less familiarwith technical terminology The book also contains atext-only glossary and an authorities section that de-tails the authorrsquos citations
All in all it is a thorough painstakingly researchedbook of proven valuemdashhence the many editions Thatraises the question lsquolsquoWhy change the title after allthese yearsrsquorsquo
LITERATURE CITED
Stubbendieck J S L Hatch and K J Hirsch1986 North American range plants 5th ed Uni-versity of Nebraska Press Lincoln NE
GREGORY GUST
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
PO BOX 299ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63166-0299
496 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
PhytoChem Australia A Database on AustralianPlant Chemistry 1940ndash2000 [CD-ROM] CollinsD J and C C J Culvenor 2003 CSIRO Pub-lishing PO Box 1139 URL wwwpublishcsiroau Collingwood Vic 3066 Australia AU$29500 ISBN 0643066322
As scientists we use databases on a daily basis tosort data and locate references We also occasionallyconstruct our own databases to help solve researchproblems Large cross-referenced books indices andcyclopedias were the original databases but PCs andnew software have made the database more availableand more useful the Internet has also made many ofthese databases accessible on-line
In natural products chemistry the study of theknown chemical composition of a plant begins withdatabase reference searches There are some searchabledatabases like NAPRALERT that are incredibly com-prehensive and constantly updatedmdashbut expensive fora well-researched plant Chemical Abstracts BiosisMedline and the various academic journal databasesall index differently and to get a comprehensiveknowledge of the previous phytochemical work on agiven plant several searches in many databases are re-quired None of these databases are perfect There alsoremain many professional journals not indexed bythese databases which tend to have an American orEuropean slant The PhytoChem Australia CD-ROMhas been released to fill this void as a useful tool forfinding phytochemical information and references onAustralian plants It is intended for those investigatinglsquolsquoagriculture pharmacy toxicology and Aboriginalstudiesrsquorsquo and contains over 2700 references publishedbetween 1940 and 2000 For anyone searching for phy-tochemical information on a plant known to be Aus-tralian in origin this will likely be an indispensabledatabase for references Those working on plants thatare pantropical may also find this database useful inthat many Australian journals not indexed by other da-tabases are included In addition to the ability to searchby family genus or species the authors have includedPDF files with the complete bibliography as well asauthor and plant indices
A functional database is much more than a compi-lation of information however and to be useful itmust transcend the collection of information to provideeasy access We are accustomed to very lsquolsquoclickablersquorsquowebsites and databases that are easy to use so anydatabase entering this arena must be as user-friendlyas possible I found some of the search mechanismssomewhat awkward and the instructions a bit lackingThe drop-down menus for a species will only appearif a genus is selected and likewise the genus drop-down menu will only operate if a family is selectedWhile this isnrsquot a serious problem if you are unsureof a family relationship or the correct spelling you arenot given any help in locating information This is
made more frustrating by the fact that you must alwayschoose lsquolsquoHigher Plantsrsquorsquo from the Plant Type in orderto get a family list I couldnrsquot see the utility of thisfield Among the Algae Bacteria Fungi and Lichencategories there were only 63 total families added tothe database A simpler design would allow the useraccess to drop-down menus without having selected ahigher taxonomic level Search results can be sortedby date or publication but not by author or title Onecan also search the database by compound and com-pound type but no search can be refinedmdashin order torefine a search one must re-enter all plant informationagain
The lsquolsquoCompound Typersquorsquo field is a long and confus-ing-looking list I found a lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo category (10hits) and a lsquolsquoflavonoidsrsquorsquo category (1 hit) There were21 flavonoid subcategories but they unfortunately donot all fall within the general lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo categoryThe additional subcategories could be very helpful butit apparently means that 23 searches would have to beperformed to be sure you are getting all the flavonoidinformation for a plantmdashand each time the plant namewould have to be re-entered The alkaloid subdivisionsfar outnumber the flavonoid subdivisions In a wordcumbersome Another strange detail is the fact thatmost of the journal names are abbreviatedmdashand notabbreviated consistently I saw no reason for not in-cluding the whole journal name I foundlsquolsquoJEthnopharmacologyrsquorsquo (1 hit) and JEthnopharmacol(2 hits) in the drop-down menu and the searchlsquolsquojethnorsquorsquo returned all 3 hits while lsquolsquoJournal of Eth-nopharmacologyrsquorsquo returned no hits
One of the beauties of a database like this howeveris the ability to update and change the information Asit comes the database is protected but designerrsquos con-tact information is included for those wishing to cus-tomize their database Of course it also means that theauthors can continue to update the information andwork out the design flaws for future editions Hope-fully they will It would be well worth the effort
KURT ALLERSLEV REYNERTSON
CUNY PLANT SCIENCES
BRONX NY 10468KREYNERTLEHMANCUNYEDU
Medicinal Plants of the World An Illustrated Sci-entific Guide to Important Medicinal Plants andTheir Uses Van Wyk Ben-Erik and MichaelWink 2004 Timber Press Inc The HaseltineBuilding 133 SW Second Ave Suite 450 Port-land OR 97204 480 pp (hardcover) US$ 3995ISBN 0-88192-602-7
Readers may recognize van Wykrsquos name as the au-thor of Peoplersquos Plants A Guide to Useful Plants ofSouthern Africa (review 55(4)580ndash581) This is a dif-
2004] 497BOOK REVIEWS
ferent contribution by him in partnership with anothercollaborator Van Wyk is a professor of botany at theRand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg while Mi-chael Wink is professor of pharmaceutical biology atthe University of Heidelberg
This book is introduced by a Preface Introductionan abbreviated discussion of world medical systems alist of plant parts used in medicines dosage forms useof medicinal plant products active ingredients qualityand safety efficacy of medicinal plant products andregulation of herbal remedies and phytomedicinesFollowing this are the selected 320 species in alpha-betical order For each species there is a half pagecolor photograph or sometimes two to four Text givesthe scientific name selected English common name(s)a description comments on origins parts used thera-peutic category uses and properties preparation anddosage active ingredients pharmacological effectsnotes and status In smaller font at the bottom of eachpage is the Latin name with authority the family andcommon names in up to four other European languag-es Next are discussions of health disorders and me-dicinal plants an overview of secondary metabolitesand their effects and a lsquolsquoQuick guide to commercial-ised medicinal plantsrsquorsquo that includes more than 900species Finally there is a glossary a list of furtherreading and a general index
The photographs themselves are of extremely highquality and many were taken by the authors Otherswere taken by colleagues who are listed at the end ofthe book (pp 479ndash480) In addition to the main spe-cies discussed there are sometimes photographs of re-lated species For example in addition to Zea maysthere is a photo of Secale cereale This grass is illus-trated because rye pollen sometimes comprises up to92 of what is sold as lsquolsquomaize pollenrsquorsquo
This is one more book from Timber Press that addsto their growing roster of dishonest titles While it istrue that the volume contains plants from around theworld it is not a compendium of lsquolsquoMedicinal Plants ofthe Worldrsquorsquo The true nature of the book appears in thehonest subtitle and in the authorsrsquo preface (p 6) Toobad Timber Press no longer uses titles that reflect thecontent of their books
Still the clear emphasis of this book is Europeanplants There is but a smattering of American AfricanAsian and Australian species The correct emphasis iseasily learned from the common names EnglishFrench German Italian and Spanish None are in Por-tuguese perhaps the third most abundantly used Eu-ropean language in the New World lsquolsquoNeemrsquorsquo is thename of East Indian origin for Azadirachta indica inspite of the fact that it has dozens of others in India(cf Watt 1889 Parrotta 2001)
In spite of my negative comments is this a bookthat people should buy Absolutely unreservedly yesAt the price the book is worth it simply for the pho-tographs Add to that the authoritative text and thecompact lsquolsquoquick guidersquorsquo and it is a real bargain
LITERATURE CITED
Watt George 1889 A dictionary of the economicproducts of India Reprinted 1972 by Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehra Dun India (see VolV211ndash221)
Parrotta John A 2001 Healing plants of peninsularIndia CABI Publishing New York NY
DANIEL F AUSTIN
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM
TUCSON AZ 85743DAUSTINDESERTMUSEUMORG
2004] 493BOOK REVIEWS
tures For instance you can search the text zoom in ona variety of images or text or use the lsquolsquoPagesrsquorsquo tool tobrowse through all of the pages as thumbnail-sized im-ages The lsquolsquoBookmarksrsquorsquo tool reveals a navigable tableof contents which expand contract or highlight partic-ular entries for your own reference
All in all this edition is a great find that you willappreciate more as you use it and become familiar withthe format As a classic landmark masterpiece in bo-tanical history either the CD or the hardcover versionshould be included in your personal or university li-brary
KAROL CHANDLER-EZELL
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63108KAROLEPIWUSTLEDU
Bacterial Disease Resistance in Plants MolecularBiology and Biotechnological Applications Vid-hyasekaran P 2002 The Haworth Press Inc 10Alice Street Binghamton NY 13904 xiv 1 452pp (paperback) US$ 5995 ISBN 1-56022-925-X
Current through the late 1990s this text by a notedauthority in the field does a remarkable job of cov-ering the complex area of plant resistance to bacterialdisease The book is logically organized into 6 majorchapters Molecular Recognition Processes BetweenPlant and Bacterial Pathogens Host Defense Mecha-nisms The Cell WallmdashThe First Barrier and a Sourceof Defense Signal Molecules Active Oxygen SpeciesInducible Plant Proteins Inducible Secondary Metab-olites and the final chapter is Biological ApplicationsMolecular Manipulation of Bacterial Disease Resis-tance References (over 1700) are contained in a blend-ed comprehensive list at the end of the text by authorThis reviewer noted very few errors in text tables orcharts No chemical structures are in the text other thaninitialed protein sequences
The text represents a thorough summary of the ma-jor findings in the six basic areas of plantsrsquo responsesto bacterial invasion Though a few years out of datethe findings are clearly presented in mostly chronolog-ical fashion and serve as an excellent review of thedevelopment of the entire field The author furthermoreinterjects insightful comments from his long career inthe area These often are calls for additional researchinto poorly understood processes such as tylose accu-mulation and early research on hsr and str gene-en-coded proteins The general area of active oxygen spe-cies lacks a discussion of NO Other shortcomings ofthe test are its lack of sufficient coverage of induciblesecondary metabolites (the term alkaloid is not evenin the index) the roles of Ca11 and calmodulin andthe abbreviated treatment given the jasmonatemeth-yljasmonate induction process
This text can be recommended for the researcherwho is seeking an overview of the entire process Itcan also serve as a very readable introduction to thegraduate student just becoming familiar with the areaIt can be recommended for inclusion in the libraries ofdepartments of plant pathology botanyplant physiol-ogy and plant molecular biology
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Breeding Research on Aromatic and MedicinalPlants Johnson Christopher B and ChlodwigFranz eds 2002 Haworth Herbal Press 10 AliceStreet Binghamton NY 13904-1580 xx 1 435 pp(paperback) US$ 4995 ISBN 0-7890-1973-6
This book was co-published simultaneously as theJournal of Herbs Spices and Medicinal Plants 9 (23 and 4) in 2002 and represents papers presented atthe second international conference on lsquolsquoBreeding Re-search on Medicinal and Aromatic Plantsrsquorsquo held inCrete in July of 2000 It is divided into four majorsections Conventional Breeding Biochemistry Bio-technology Molecular Genetics and Physiology Bio-diversity and Conservation of Medicinal and AromaticPlantsrsquo Resources and Economic Ethical and LegalAspects There is a combined topicauthor index thatlacks a comprehensive inclusion of phytochemicalsThe text contains very few errors and has extensivespecific data inserted in numerous maps graphs andtables The editors have done a fine job of organizinga wide array of topics by numerous authors into par-allel text Chapters contain a summary and key wordsintroduction detailed materials and methods (whereapplicable) results and conclusions Each chapter hasits own references listed which this reviewer prefersover a single composite listing at the end of the text
The plants discussed center heavily on Mediterra-nean species and the regionrsquos cultivars phytopatholog-ical considerations and climatehabitats which maylimit the textrsquos utility to North American conditionsthough on occasion North American cultivars are in-cluded as in Buter and Buterrsquos chapter on Hypericumperforatum L and Keskitalorsquos on Tanacetum vulgareL in Finland
Other interesting chapters that digress from the titleinclude Goeschlrsquos lsquolsquoStakes in the evolutionary raceThe economic value of plants for medicinal applica-tionsrsquorsquo Llewelynrsquos lsquolsquoEuropean Plant Intellectual Prop-ertyrsquorsquo and Padusi et al lsquolsquoChallenges and opportunitiesin enhancing the conservation and use of medicinaland aromatic plantsrsquorsquo
This book can be recommended first and foremost
494 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
to those researchers involved with medicinal plantbreeding in the Mediterranean region It may serve asan additional valuable reference in the libraries of oth-ers interested in solving the present dayrsquos dilemmas ofsupply and standardization of medicinal and aromaticplantsrsquo products especially in light of questions ofconservation and the preservation of genetic diversity
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Gathering Moss A Natural and Cultural History ofMosses Kimmerer Robin Wall 2003 OregonState University Press Corvallis viii 1 168 pp(paperback) US$ 1795 ISBN 0-87071-499-6
Letrsquos face it mosses are not generally considered tobe glamorous plants Introductory biology textbookspresent mosses as examples of (1) the most primitiveof plants transitional between algae and ferns and oth-er pteridophytes and (2) the principle of lsquolsquoalternationof generationsrsquorsquo Once you have read Gathering Mossyour image of this neglected group will be consider-ably broadened
This slim volume consists of a series of 20 briefessays Robin Kimmerer a botanist and the author ofnumerous publications on mosses in The Bryologistand other scientific journals also happens to be of Pot-awatomi heritage She is thus able to combine her sci-entific training and botanical knowledge with the in-digenous lsquolsquoways of knowingrsquorsquo including emotion andspirit as well as mind and body
Most essays begin with a folksy account of someevent in the authorrsquos personal life such as a foray intothe woods with her daughters in the Adirondacks oran interchange between herself and a neighbor In eachcase there is seamlessly woven into her account someaspect of mosses their diversity ecology or physiol-ogy One essay lsquolsquoThe Web of Reciprocity IndigenousUses of Mossrsquorsquo surveys some of the every-day waysthat Native peoples have used mosses
Although not intended as a field guide many ex-cellent pen-and-ink drawings illustrating various spe-cies of mosses are scattered throughout The bibliog-raphy includes references on economic aspects ofmosses as well as those on moss identification
After you read this book I predict that you willnever again think of mosses as insignificant or super-fluous It is hoped that this book Professor Kimmererrsquosfirst will not be her last
THOMAS E HEMMERLY
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
MURFREESBORO TN 37132THEMMERLMTSUEDU
A Global Compendium of Weeds Randall R P2002 R G amp F J Richardson PO Box 42 Mer-edith Victoria 3333 Australia distributed by Mis-souri Botanical Garden Press PO Box 299 StLouis MO 63166 wwwmbgpresscom xxxii 1905 pp (hardcover) US$ 99 1 shipping amp han-dling ISBN 0-9587439-8-3
The source material of this lsquolsquoencyclopediarsquorsquo is everybook pamphlet journal article personal communica-tion and website the author could find There are near-ly 300 of these listed in Table 1 pages viiindashxxvii Theyare arbitrarily numbered 1ndash300 in no discernible pat-tern with a half dozen lsquolsquovacantrsquorsquo These are highlyvariable in their quality obviously We have for ex-ample Royer and Dickinson 1999 lsquolsquoWeeds of Canadaand the Northern United Statesrsquorsquo a scholarly workNumber 299 on the list but also Number 281 on thelist lsquolsquoPrincipales Malezas de Centro America y El Ca-ribe Controladas con Rounduprsquorsquo So far as I know thisherbicide kills every plant it touches so this referenceis surely not a critical source of information But forgood or ill there it is make of it what you will
Randall is quite aware that websites (abundantly cit-ed) come and go and he warns the reader accordinglyIt is characteristic of the approach this book takes thathe also tells the reader how to do a Google search
Therersquos a striking picture on the cover It looks likesome kind of lsquolsquocreature from the Black Lagoonrsquorsquo It isin fact Lavandula stoechas (Lamiaceae) and it is re-peated on the title page There are two other illustra-tions Phalaris aquatica (Poaceae) on xxxi and Pa-paver somniferum on p 761 These images are iden-tified on the back of the title page but not particular-ized as to page number
The body of the text is an alphabetical listing byscientific names with abundant synonymy and crossreferences with associated family name and some-times more than one family name when the expertsdonrsquot agree An unusual and most helpful feature is thecitation of common names in what appear to be dozensof languages rendered into Roman script For exam-ple under Alopecurus aequalis (Poaceae) we havelsquoshort-awned foxtailrsquo lsquoorange foxtail lsquomarsh foxtailrsquoand lsquorantapuntarpaarsquo I have no idea what languagethat last one is transcribed from and thatrsquos preciselywhat will make this book so useful to botanists of allstripes here at last is a source to look up obscure com-mon names Most helpfully all names are included inan exhaustive alphabetical index pp 763ndash905
As is typical of books on weeds this one offers nodefinition of the term If somebody somewhere forsome reason called it a lsquolsquoweedrsquorsquo then itrsquos here As aresult specialists will wonder at the inclusion of somenames but I doubt he has made any significant exclu-sions He claims there are 20 672 entries of scientific
2004] 495BOOK REVIEWS
names and 27 108 common names and I believe himHis sources of information for each entry are given bythe arbitrary numbering system mentioned above
The previous lsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo on weeds wasHolm et al lsquolsquoA Geographical Atlas of World Weedsrsquorsquo1979 with a reprint edition in 1991 it listed 6400species Randallrsquos book bids fair to become the newlsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
Wheat Ecology and Physiology of Yield Determi-nation Satorre Emilio H and Gustavo A Slafereds 1999 Food Products Press an imprint of TheHaworth Press Inc 10 Alice Street BinghamtonNY 13904 xx 1 503 pp (paperback) US$ 125(hardcover) US$ 5995 (paperback) ISBN1-56022-874-1 (hardcover) ISBN 1-56022-875-X(paperback printing 2000)
The editors have marshaled experts from around theworld to write 19 chapters on improving wheat yieldsThese are organized into four parts Wheat PhysiologyWheat Ecology Wheat Production Systems andBreeding to Further Raise Wheat Yields The result isa kind of updated textbook on agronomy of cultivatedwheat There is nothing on the evolution of the speciesunder the hand of mankindmdashthatrsquos not the intent
There is an enormous investigational base for awork of this kind because wheat is the most widelygrown crop in the world approximately one-sixth ofthe worldrsquos total arable land is cultivated with wheatAs evidence of how vast the literature is one needonly look at the references cited at the end of eachchaptermdashI was struck by the fact that all cited papersand books are in English with no hint of anything inFrench German Russian or Spanish
The editors included their own introductory chapterwherein they point out that there are over 300 000plant species but only 24 of these are used as cropsto satisfy most human requirements for food and fiberFor the first 50 years of the twentieth century yieldsincreased dramatically because more and more landwas brought into production but yields per hectarewere essentially flat Dramatic increases in yield perhectare came about with large increases in researchbut for the last decade or so yields have leveled offeven as human populations have continued to growdramatically The contributing authors have all pointedout where more information is needed and the bookis probably already being used to shape future researchprograms
This is not a symposium volume and the editors areto be congratulated for having taken the time to com-
pile an extensive author index as well as a thoroughsubject index As a result one can find (for example)where antibiosis and antixenosis are covered in thebook not to mention lsquolsquochromosome engineeringrsquorsquo andlsquolsquoslugsrsquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
North American Wildland Plants A Field GuideStubbendieck James Stephan L Hatch and L MLandholt 2003 University of Nebraska Press 233North 8th Street Lincoln Nebraska xiv 1 501 pp(paperback) US$ 3000 ISBN 0-8032-9306-2
This new volume the sixth edition of North Amer-ican Range Plants (Stubbendieck 1986) is a welcomeaddition to the bookshelf of any rangeland ecologist ornatural resource specialist Focusing primarily onplants of the Great Plains the book describes about200 common rangeland plants The taxonomic layoutis organized into four classifications grasses (whichmake up about half the taxa) grass-like plants forbsand woody plants Distribution maps vernacular andscientific names habit descriptions and detailed leaffloral and fruit characteristics are included in the neat-ly arranged text Additional plant information includ-ing historic uses value as forage for livestock andgeneral habitat greatly increase the bookrsquos potentialappeal
Beautifully drawn illustrations with details and ex-planations of particularly significant morphologicalstructures are presented alongside the species descrip-tions for easy cross-reference in the field Illustratedglossaries near the front of the book provide a conciseand comprehensive background for those less familiarwith technical terminology The book also contains atext-only glossary and an authorities section that de-tails the authorrsquos citations
All in all it is a thorough painstakingly researchedbook of proven valuemdashhence the many editions Thatraises the question lsquolsquoWhy change the title after allthese yearsrsquorsquo
LITERATURE CITED
Stubbendieck J S L Hatch and K J Hirsch1986 North American range plants 5th ed Uni-versity of Nebraska Press Lincoln NE
GREGORY GUST
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
PO BOX 299ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63166-0299
496 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
PhytoChem Australia A Database on AustralianPlant Chemistry 1940ndash2000 [CD-ROM] CollinsD J and C C J Culvenor 2003 CSIRO Pub-lishing PO Box 1139 URL wwwpublishcsiroau Collingwood Vic 3066 Australia AU$29500 ISBN 0643066322
As scientists we use databases on a daily basis tosort data and locate references We also occasionallyconstruct our own databases to help solve researchproblems Large cross-referenced books indices andcyclopedias were the original databases but PCs andnew software have made the database more availableand more useful the Internet has also made many ofthese databases accessible on-line
In natural products chemistry the study of theknown chemical composition of a plant begins withdatabase reference searches There are some searchabledatabases like NAPRALERT that are incredibly com-prehensive and constantly updatedmdashbut expensive fora well-researched plant Chemical Abstracts BiosisMedline and the various academic journal databasesall index differently and to get a comprehensiveknowledge of the previous phytochemical work on agiven plant several searches in many databases are re-quired None of these databases are perfect There alsoremain many professional journals not indexed bythese databases which tend to have an American orEuropean slant The PhytoChem Australia CD-ROMhas been released to fill this void as a useful tool forfinding phytochemical information and references onAustralian plants It is intended for those investigatinglsquolsquoagriculture pharmacy toxicology and Aboriginalstudiesrsquorsquo and contains over 2700 references publishedbetween 1940 and 2000 For anyone searching for phy-tochemical information on a plant known to be Aus-tralian in origin this will likely be an indispensabledatabase for references Those working on plants thatare pantropical may also find this database useful inthat many Australian journals not indexed by other da-tabases are included In addition to the ability to searchby family genus or species the authors have includedPDF files with the complete bibliography as well asauthor and plant indices
A functional database is much more than a compi-lation of information however and to be useful itmust transcend the collection of information to provideeasy access We are accustomed to very lsquolsquoclickablersquorsquowebsites and databases that are easy to use so anydatabase entering this arena must be as user-friendlyas possible I found some of the search mechanismssomewhat awkward and the instructions a bit lackingThe drop-down menus for a species will only appearif a genus is selected and likewise the genus drop-down menu will only operate if a family is selectedWhile this isnrsquot a serious problem if you are unsureof a family relationship or the correct spelling you arenot given any help in locating information This is
made more frustrating by the fact that you must alwayschoose lsquolsquoHigher Plantsrsquorsquo from the Plant Type in orderto get a family list I couldnrsquot see the utility of thisfield Among the Algae Bacteria Fungi and Lichencategories there were only 63 total families added tothe database A simpler design would allow the useraccess to drop-down menus without having selected ahigher taxonomic level Search results can be sortedby date or publication but not by author or title Onecan also search the database by compound and com-pound type but no search can be refinedmdashin order torefine a search one must re-enter all plant informationagain
The lsquolsquoCompound Typersquorsquo field is a long and confus-ing-looking list I found a lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo category (10hits) and a lsquolsquoflavonoidsrsquorsquo category (1 hit) There were21 flavonoid subcategories but they unfortunately donot all fall within the general lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo categoryThe additional subcategories could be very helpful butit apparently means that 23 searches would have to beperformed to be sure you are getting all the flavonoidinformation for a plantmdashand each time the plant namewould have to be re-entered The alkaloid subdivisionsfar outnumber the flavonoid subdivisions In a wordcumbersome Another strange detail is the fact thatmost of the journal names are abbreviatedmdashand notabbreviated consistently I saw no reason for not in-cluding the whole journal name I foundlsquolsquoJEthnopharmacologyrsquorsquo (1 hit) and JEthnopharmacol(2 hits) in the drop-down menu and the searchlsquolsquojethnorsquorsquo returned all 3 hits while lsquolsquoJournal of Eth-nopharmacologyrsquorsquo returned no hits
One of the beauties of a database like this howeveris the ability to update and change the information Asit comes the database is protected but designerrsquos con-tact information is included for those wishing to cus-tomize their database Of course it also means that theauthors can continue to update the information andwork out the design flaws for future editions Hope-fully they will It would be well worth the effort
KURT ALLERSLEV REYNERTSON
CUNY PLANT SCIENCES
BRONX NY 10468KREYNERTLEHMANCUNYEDU
Medicinal Plants of the World An Illustrated Sci-entific Guide to Important Medicinal Plants andTheir Uses Van Wyk Ben-Erik and MichaelWink 2004 Timber Press Inc The HaseltineBuilding 133 SW Second Ave Suite 450 Port-land OR 97204 480 pp (hardcover) US$ 3995ISBN 0-88192-602-7
Readers may recognize van Wykrsquos name as the au-thor of Peoplersquos Plants A Guide to Useful Plants ofSouthern Africa (review 55(4)580ndash581) This is a dif-
2004] 497BOOK REVIEWS
ferent contribution by him in partnership with anothercollaborator Van Wyk is a professor of botany at theRand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg while Mi-chael Wink is professor of pharmaceutical biology atthe University of Heidelberg
This book is introduced by a Preface Introductionan abbreviated discussion of world medical systems alist of plant parts used in medicines dosage forms useof medicinal plant products active ingredients qualityand safety efficacy of medicinal plant products andregulation of herbal remedies and phytomedicinesFollowing this are the selected 320 species in alpha-betical order For each species there is a half pagecolor photograph or sometimes two to four Text givesthe scientific name selected English common name(s)a description comments on origins parts used thera-peutic category uses and properties preparation anddosage active ingredients pharmacological effectsnotes and status In smaller font at the bottom of eachpage is the Latin name with authority the family andcommon names in up to four other European languag-es Next are discussions of health disorders and me-dicinal plants an overview of secondary metabolitesand their effects and a lsquolsquoQuick guide to commercial-ised medicinal plantsrsquorsquo that includes more than 900species Finally there is a glossary a list of furtherreading and a general index
The photographs themselves are of extremely highquality and many were taken by the authors Otherswere taken by colleagues who are listed at the end ofthe book (pp 479ndash480) In addition to the main spe-cies discussed there are sometimes photographs of re-lated species For example in addition to Zea maysthere is a photo of Secale cereale This grass is illus-trated because rye pollen sometimes comprises up to92 of what is sold as lsquolsquomaize pollenrsquorsquo
This is one more book from Timber Press that addsto their growing roster of dishonest titles While it istrue that the volume contains plants from around theworld it is not a compendium of lsquolsquoMedicinal Plants ofthe Worldrsquorsquo The true nature of the book appears in thehonest subtitle and in the authorsrsquo preface (p 6) Toobad Timber Press no longer uses titles that reflect thecontent of their books
Still the clear emphasis of this book is Europeanplants There is but a smattering of American AfricanAsian and Australian species The correct emphasis iseasily learned from the common names EnglishFrench German Italian and Spanish None are in Por-tuguese perhaps the third most abundantly used Eu-ropean language in the New World lsquolsquoNeemrsquorsquo is thename of East Indian origin for Azadirachta indica inspite of the fact that it has dozens of others in India(cf Watt 1889 Parrotta 2001)
In spite of my negative comments is this a bookthat people should buy Absolutely unreservedly yesAt the price the book is worth it simply for the pho-tographs Add to that the authoritative text and thecompact lsquolsquoquick guidersquorsquo and it is a real bargain
LITERATURE CITED
Watt George 1889 A dictionary of the economicproducts of India Reprinted 1972 by Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehra Dun India (see VolV211ndash221)
Parrotta John A 2001 Healing plants of peninsularIndia CABI Publishing New York NY
DANIEL F AUSTIN
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM
TUCSON AZ 85743DAUSTINDESERTMUSEUMORG
494 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
to those researchers involved with medicinal plantbreeding in the Mediterranean region It may serve asan additional valuable reference in the libraries of oth-ers interested in solving the present dayrsquos dilemmas ofsupply and standardization of medicinal and aromaticplantsrsquo products especially in light of questions ofconservation and the preservation of genetic diversity
ROBERT J KRUEGER
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
BIG RAPIDS MI 49307ROBERTpKRUEGERFERRISEDU
Gathering Moss A Natural and Cultural History ofMosses Kimmerer Robin Wall 2003 OregonState University Press Corvallis viii 1 168 pp(paperback) US$ 1795 ISBN 0-87071-499-6
Letrsquos face it mosses are not generally considered tobe glamorous plants Introductory biology textbookspresent mosses as examples of (1) the most primitiveof plants transitional between algae and ferns and oth-er pteridophytes and (2) the principle of lsquolsquoalternationof generationsrsquorsquo Once you have read Gathering Mossyour image of this neglected group will be consider-ably broadened
This slim volume consists of a series of 20 briefessays Robin Kimmerer a botanist and the author ofnumerous publications on mosses in The Bryologistand other scientific journals also happens to be of Pot-awatomi heritage She is thus able to combine her sci-entific training and botanical knowledge with the in-digenous lsquolsquoways of knowingrsquorsquo including emotion andspirit as well as mind and body
Most essays begin with a folksy account of someevent in the authorrsquos personal life such as a foray intothe woods with her daughters in the Adirondacks oran interchange between herself and a neighbor In eachcase there is seamlessly woven into her account someaspect of mosses their diversity ecology or physiol-ogy One essay lsquolsquoThe Web of Reciprocity IndigenousUses of Mossrsquorsquo surveys some of the every-day waysthat Native peoples have used mosses
Although not intended as a field guide many ex-cellent pen-and-ink drawings illustrating various spe-cies of mosses are scattered throughout The bibliog-raphy includes references on economic aspects ofmosses as well as those on moss identification
After you read this book I predict that you willnever again think of mosses as insignificant or super-fluous It is hoped that this book Professor Kimmererrsquosfirst will not be her last
THOMAS E HEMMERLY
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
MURFREESBORO TN 37132THEMMERLMTSUEDU
A Global Compendium of Weeds Randall R P2002 R G amp F J Richardson PO Box 42 Mer-edith Victoria 3333 Australia distributed by Mis-souri Botanical Garden Press PO Box 299 StLouis MO 63166 wwwmbgpresscom xxxii 1905 pp (hardcover) US$ 99 1 shipping amp han-dling ISBN 0-9587439-8-3
The source material of this lsquolsquoencyclopediarsquorsquo is everybook pamphlet journal article personal communica-tion and website the author could find There are near-ly 300 of these listed in Table 1 pages viiindashxxvii Theyare arbitrarily numbered 1ndash300 in no discernible pat-tern with a half dozen lsquolsquovacantrsquorsquo These are highlyvariable in their quality obviously We have for ex-ample Royer and Dickinson 1999 lsquolsquoWeeds of Canadaand the Northern United Statesrsquorsquo a scholarly workNumber 299 on the list but also Number 281 on thelist lsquolsquoPrincipales Malezas de Centro America y El Ca-ribe Controladas con Rounduprsquorsquo So far as I know thisherbicide kills every plant it touches so this referenceis surely not a critical source of information But forgood or ill there it is make of it what you will
Randall is quite aware that websites (abundantly cit-ed) come and go and he warns the reader accordinglyIt is characteristic of the approach this book takes thathe also tells the reader how to do a Google search
Therersquos a striking picture on the cover It looks likesome kind of lsquolsquocreature from the Black Lagoonrsquorsquo It isin fact Lavandula stoechas (Lamiaceae) and it is re-peated on the title page There are two other illustra-tions Phalaris aquatica (Poaceae) on xxxi and Pa-paver somniferum on p 761 These images are iden-tified on the back of the title page but not particular-ized as to page number
The body of the text is an alphabetical listing byscientific names with abundant synonymy and crossreferences with associated family name and some-times more than one family name when the expertsdonrsquot agree An unusual and most helpful feature is thecitation of common names in what appear to be dozensof languages rendered into Roman script For exam-ple under Alopecurus aequalis (Poaceae) we havelsquoshort-awned foxtailrsquo lsquoorange foxtail lsquomarsh foxtailrsquoand lsquorantapuntarpaarsquo I have no idea what languagethat last one is transcribed from and thatrsquos preciselywhat will make this book so useful to botanists of allstripes here at last is a source to look up obscure com-mon names Most helpfully all names are included inan exhaustive alphabetical index pp 763ndash905
As is typical of books on weeds this one offers nodefinition of the term If somebody somewhere forsome reason called it a lsquolsquoweedrsquorsquo then itrsquos here As aresult specialists will wonder at the inclusion of somenames but I doubt he has made any significant exclu-sions He claims there are 20 672 entries of scientific
2004] 495BOOK REVIEWS
names and 27 108 common names and I believe himHis sources of information for each entry are given bythe arbitrary numbering system mentioned above
The previous lsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo on weeds wasHolm et al lsquolsquoA Geographical Atlas of World Weedsrsquorsquo1979 with a reprint edition in 1991 it listed 6400species Randallrsquos book bids fair to become the newlsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
Wheat Ecology and Physiology of Yield Determi-nation Satorre Emilio H and Gustavo A Slafereds 1999 Food Products Press an imprint of TheHaworth Press Inc 10 Alice Street BinghamtonNY 13904 xx 1 503 pp (paperback) US$ 125(hardcover) US$ 5995 (paperback) ISBN1-56022-874-1 (hardcover) ISBN 1-56022-875-X(paperback printing 2000)
The editors have marshaled experts from around theworld to write 19 chapters on improving wheat yieldsThese are organized into four parts Wheat PhysiologyWheat Ecology Wheat Production Systems andBreeding to Further Raise Wheat Yields The result isa kind of updated textbook on agronomy of cultivatedwheat There is nothing on the evolution of the speciesunder the hand of mankindmdashthatrsquos not the intent
There is an enormous investigational base for awork of this kind because wheat is the most widelygrown crop in the world approximately one-sixth ofthe worldrsquos total arable land is cultivated with wheatAs evidence of how vast the literature is one needonly look at the references cited at the end of eachchaptermdashI was struck by the fact that all cited papersand books are in English with no hint of anything inFrench German Russian or Spanish
The editors included their own introductory chapterwherein they point out that there are over 300 000plant species but only 24 of these are used as cropsto satisfy most human requirements for food and fiberFor the first 50 years of the twentieth century yieldsincreased dramatically because more and more landwas brought into production but yields per hectarewere essentially flat Dramatic increases in yield perhectare came about with large increases in researchbut for the last decade or so yields have leveled offeven as human populations have continued to growdramatically The contributing authors have all pointedout where more information is needed and the bookis probably already being used to shape future researchprograms
This is not a symposium volume and the editors areto be congratulated for having taken the time to com-
pile an extensive author index as well as a thoroughsubject index As a result one can find (for example)where antibiosis and antixenosis are covered in thebook not to mention lsquolsquochromosome engineeringrsquorsquo andlsquolsquoslugsrsquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
North American Wildland Plants A Field GuideStubbendieck James Stephan L Hatch and L MLandholt 2003 University of Nebraska Press 233North 8th Street Lincoln Nebraska xiv 1 501 pp(paperback) US$ 3000 ISBN 0-8032-9306-2
This new volume the sixth edition of North Amer-ican Range Plants (Stubbendieck 1986) is a welcomeaddition to the bookshelf of any rangeland ecologist ornatural resource specialist Focusing primarily onplants of the Great Plains the book describes about200 common rangeland plants The taxonomic layoutis organized into four classifications grasses (whichmake up about half the taxa) grass-like plants forbsand woody plants Distribution maps vernacular andscientific names habit descriptions and detailed leaffloral and fruit characteristics are included in the neat-ly arranged text Additional plant information includ-ing historic uses value as forage for livestock andgeneral habitat greatly increase the bookrsquos potentialappeal
Beautifully drawn illustrations with details and ex-planations of particularly significant morphologicalstructures are presented alongside the species descrip-tions for easy cross-reference in the field Illustratedglossaries near the front of the book provide a conciseand comprehensive background for those less familiarwith technical terminology The book also contains atext-only glossary and an authorities section that de-tails the authorrsquos citations
All in all it is a thorough painstakingly researchedbook of proven valuemdashhence the many editions Thatraises the question lsquolsquoWhy change the title after allthese yearsrsquorsquo
LITERATURE CITED
Stubbendieck J S L Hatch and K J Hirsch1986 North American range plants 5th ed Uni-versity of Nebraska Press Lincoln NE
GREGORY GUST
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
PO BOX 299ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63166-0299
496 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
PhytoChem Australia A Database on AustralianPlant Chemistry 1940ndash2000 [CD-ROM] CollinsD J and C C J Culvenor 2003 CSIRO Pub-lishing PO Box 1139 URL wwwpublishcsiroau Collingwood Vic 3066 Australia AU$29500 ISBN 0643066322
As scientists we use databases on a daily basis tosort data and locate references We also occasionallyconstruct our own databases to help solve researchproblems Large cross-referenced books indices andcyclopedias were the original databases but PCs andnew software have made the database more availableand more useful the Internet has also made many ofthese databases accessible on-line
In natural products chemistry the study of theknown chemical composition of a plant begins withdatabase reference searches There are some searchabledatabases like NAPRALERT that are incredibly com-prehensive and constantly updatedmdashbut expensive fora well-researched plant Chemical Abstracts BiosisMedline and the various academic journal databasesall index differently and to get a comprehensiveknowledge of the previous phytochemical work on agiven plant several searches in many databases are re-quired None of these databases are perfect There alsoremain many professional journals not indexed bythese databases which tend to have an American orEuropean slant The PhytoChem Australia CD-ROMhas been released to fill this void as a useful tool forfinding phytochemical information and references onAustralian plants It is intended for those investigatinglsquolsquoagriculture pharmacy toxicology and Aboriginalstudiesrsquorsquo and contains over 2700 references publishedbetween 1940 and 2000 For anyone searching for phy-tochemical information on a plant known to be Aus-tralian in origin this will likely be an indispensabledatabase for references Those working on plants thatare pantropical may also find this database useful inthat many Australian journals not indexed by other da-tabases are included In addition to the ability to searchby family genus or species the authors have includedPDF files with the complete bibliography as well asauthor and plant indices
A functional database is much more than a compi-lation of information however and to be useful itmust transcend the collection of information to provideeasy access We are accustomed to very lsquolsquoclickablersquorsquowebsites and databases that are easy to use so anydatabase entering this arena must be as user-friendlyas possible I found some of the search mechanismssomewhat awkward and the instructions a bit lackingThe drop-down menus for a species will only appearif a genus is selected and likewise the genus drop-down menu will only operate if a family is selectedWhile this isnrsquot a serious problem if you are unsureof a family relationship or the correct spelling you arenot given any help in locating information This is
made more frustrating by the fact that you must alwayschoose lsquolsquoHigher Plantsrsquorsquo from the Plant Type in orderto get a family list I couldnrsquot see the utility of thisfield Among the Algae Bacteria Fungi and Lichencategories there were only 63 total families added tothe database A simpler design would allow the useraccess to drop-down menus without having selected ahigher taxonomic level Search results can be sortedby date or publication but not by author or title Onecan also search the database by compound and com-pound type but no search can be refinedmdashin order torefine a search one must re-enter all plant informationagain
The lsquolsquoCompound Typersquorsquo field is a long and confus-ing-looking list I found a lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo category (10hits) and a lsquolsquoflavonoidsrsquorsquo category (1 hit) There were21 flavonoid subcategories but they unfortunately donot all fall within the general lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo categoryThe additional subcategories could be very helpful butit apparently means that 23 searches would have to beperformed to be sure you are getting all the flavonoidinformation for a plantmdashand each time the plant namewould have to be re-entered The alkaloid subdivisionsfar outnumber the flavonoid subdivisions In a wordcumbersome Another strange detail is the fact thatmost of the journal names are abbreviatedmdashand notabbreviated consistently I saw no reason for not in-cluding the whole journal name I foundlsquolsquoJEthnopharmacologyrsquorsquo (1 hit) and JEthnopharmacol(2 hits) in the drop-down menu and the searchlsquolsquojethnorsquorsquo returned all 3 hits while lsquolsquoJournal of Eth-nopharmacologyrsquorsquo returned no hits
One of the beauties of a database like this howeveris the ability to update and change the information Asit comes the database is protected but designerrsquos con-tact information is included for those wishing to cus-tomize their database Of course it also means that theauthors can continue to update the information andwork out the design flaws for future editions Hope-fully they will It would be well worth the effort
KURT ALLERSLEV REYNERTSON
CUNY PLANT SCIENCES
BRONX NY 10468KREYNERTLEHMANCUNYEDU
Medicinal Plants of the World An Illustrated Sci-entific Guide to Important Medicinal Plants andTheir Uses Van Wyk Ben-Erik and MichaelWink 2004 Timber Press Inc The HaseltineBuilding 133 SW Second Ave Suite 450 Port-land OR 97204 480 pp (hardcover) US$ 3995ISBN 0-88192-602-7
Readers may recognize van Wykrsquos name as the au-thor of Peoplersquos Plants A Guide to Useful Plants ofSouthern Africa (review 55(4)580ndash581) This is a dif-
2004] 497BOOK REVIEWS
ferent contribution by him in partnership with anothercollaborator Van Wyk is a professor of botany at theRand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg while Mi-chael Wink is professor of pharmaceutical biology atthe University of Heidelberg
This book is introduced by a Preface Introductionan abbreviated discussion of world medical systems alist of plant parts used in medicines dosage forms useof medicinal plant products active ingredients qualityand safety efficacy of medicinal plant products andregulation of herbal remedies and phytomedicinesFollowing this are the selected 320 species in alpha-betical order For each species there is a half pagecolor photograph or sometimes two to four Text givesthe scientific name selected English common name(s)a description comments on origins parts used thera-peutic category uses and properties preparation anddosage active ingredients pharmacological effectsnotes and status In smaller font at the bottom of eachpage is the Latin name with authority the family andcommon names in up to four other European languag-es Next are discussions of health disorders and me-dicinal plants an overview of secondary metabolitesand their effects and a lsquolsquoQuick guide to commercial-ised medicinal plantsrsquorsquo that includes more than 900species Finally there is a glossary a list of furtherreading and a general index
The photographs themselves are of extremely highquality and many were taken by the authors Otherswere taken by colleagues who are listed at the end ofthe book (pp 479ndash480) In addition to the main spe-cies discussed there are sometimes photographs of re-lated species For example in addition to Zea maysthere is a photo of Secale cereale This grass is illus-trated because rye pollen sometimes comprises up to92 of what is sold as lsquolsquomaize pollenrsquorsquo
This is one more book from Timber Press that addsto their growing roster of dishonest titles While it istrue that the volume contains plants from around theworld it is not a compendium of lsquolsquoMedicinal Plants ofthe Worldrsquorsquo The true nature of the book appears in thehonest subtitle and in the authorsrsquo preface (p 6) Toobad Timber Press no longer uses titles that reflect thecontent of their books
Still the clear emphasis of this book is Europeanplants There is but a smattering of American AfricanAsian and Australian species The correct emphasis iseasily learned from the common names EnglishFrench German Italian and Spanish None are in Por-tuguese perhaps the third most abundantly used Eu-ropean language in the New World lsquolsquoNeemrsquorsquo is thename of East Indian origin for Azadirachta indica inspite of the fact that it has dozens of others in India(cf Watt 1889 Parrotta 2001)
In spite of my negative comments is this a bookthat people should buy Absolutely unreservedly yesAt the price the book is worth it simply for the pho-tographs Add to that the authoritative text and thecompact lsquolsquoquick guidersquorsquo and it is a real bargain
LITERATURE CITED
Watt George 1889 A dictionary of the economicproducts of India Reprinted 1972 by Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehra Dun India (see VolV211ndash221)
Parrotta John A 2001 Healing plants of peninsularIndia CABI Publishing New York NY
DANIEL F AUSTIN
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM
TUCSON AZ 85743DAUSTINDESERTMUSEUMORG
2004] 495BOOK REVIEWS
names and 27 108 common names and I believe himHis sources of information for each entry are given bythe arbitrary numbering system mentioned above
The previous lsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo on weeds wasHolm et al lsquolsquoA Geographical Atlas of World Weedsrsquorsquo1979 with a reprint edition in 1991 it listed 6400species Randallrsquos book bids fair to become the newlsquolsquostandard referencersquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
Wheat Ecology and Physiology of Yield Determi-nation Satorre Emilio H and Gustavo A Slafereds 1999 Food Products Press an imprint of TheHaworth Press Inc 10 Alice Street BinghamtonNY 13904 xx 1 503 pp (paperback) US$ 125(hardcover) US$ 5995 (paperback) ISBN1-56022-874-1 (hardcover) ISBN 1-56022-875-X(paperback printing 2000)
The editors have marshaled experts from around theworld to write 19 chapters on improving wheat yieldsThese are organized into four parts Wheat PhysiologyWheat Ecology Wheat Production Systems andBreeding to Further Raise Wheat Yields The result isa kind of updated textbook on agronomy of cultivatedwheat There is nothing on the evolution of the speciesunder the hand of mankindmdashthatrsquos not the intent
There is an enormous investigational base for awork of this kind because wheat is the most widelygrown crop in the world approximately one-sixth ofthe worldrsquos total arable land is cultivated with wheatAs evidence of how vast the literature is one needonly look at the references cited at the end of eachchaptermdashI was struck by the fact that all cited papersand books are in English with no hint of anything inFrench German Russian or Spanish
The editors included their own introductory chapterwherein they point out that there are over 300 000plant species but only 24 of these are used as cropsto satisfy most human requirements for food and fiberFor the first 50 years of the twentieth century yieldsincreased dramatically because more and more landwas brought into production but yields per hectarewere essentially flat Dramatic increases in yield perhectare came about with large increases in researchbut for the last decade or so yields have leveled offeven as human populations have continued to growdramatically The contributing authors have all pointedout where more information is needed and the bookis probably already being used to shape future researchprograms
This is not a symposium volume and the editors areto be congratulated for having taken the time to com-
pile an extensive author index as well as a thoroughsubject index As a result one can find (for example)where antibiosis and antixenosis are covered in thebook not to mention lsquolsquochromosome engineeringrsquorsquo andlsquolsquoslugsrsquorsquo
NEIL A HARRIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINndashOSHKOSH
OSHKOSH WISCONSIN 54901 USAHARRIMANUWOSHEDU
North American Wildland Plants A Field GuideStubbendieck James Stephan L Hatch and L MLandholt 2003 University of Nebraska Press 233North 8th Street Lincoln Nebraska xiv 1 501 pp(paperback) US$ 3000 ISBN 0-8032-9306-2
This new volume the sixth edition of North Amer-ican Range Plants (Stubbendieck 1986) is a welcomeaddition to the bookshelf of any rangeland ecologist ornatural resource specialist Focusing primarily onplants of the Great Plains the book describes about200 common rangeland plants The taxonomic layoutis organized into four classifications grasses (whichmake up about half the taxa) grass-like plants forbsand woody plants Distribution maps vernacular andscientific names habit descriptions and detailed leaffloral and fruit characteristics are included in the neat-ly arranged text Additional plant information includ-ing historic uses value as forage for livestock andgeneral habitat greatly increase the bookrsquos potentialappeal
Beautifully drawn illustrations with details and ex-planations of particularly significant morphologicalstructures are presented alongside the species descrip-tions for easy cross-reference in the field Illustratedglossaries near the front of the book provide a conciseand comprehensive background for those less familiarwith technical terminology The book also contains atext-only glossary and an authorities section that de-tails the authorrsquos citations
All in all it is a thorough painstakingly researchedbook of proven valuemdashhence the many editions Thatraises the question lsquolsquoWhy change the title after allthese yearsrsquorsquo
LITERATURE CITED
Stubbendieck J S L Hatch and K J Hirsch1986 North American range plants 5th ed Uni-versity of Nebraska Press Lincoln NE
GREGORY GUST
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
PO BOX 299ST LOUIS MISSOURI 63166-0299
496 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
PhytoChem Australia A Database on AustralianPlant Chemistry 1940ndash2000 [CD-ROM] CollinsD J and C C J Culvenor 2003 CSIRO Pub-lishing PO Box 1139 URL wwwpublishcsiroau Collingwood Vic 3066 Australia AU$29500 ISBN 0643066322
As scientists we use databases on a daily basis tosort data and locate references We also occasionallyconstruct our own databases to help solve researchproblems Large cross-referenced books indices andcyclopedias were the original databases but PCs andnew software have made the database more availableand more useful the Internet has also made many ofthese databases accessible on-line
In natural products chemistry the study of theknown chemical composition of a plant begins withdatabase reference searches There are some searchabledatabases like NAPRALERT that are incredibly com-prehensive and constantly updatedmdashbut expensive fora well-researched plant Chemical Abstracts BiosisMedline and the various academic journal databasesall index differently and to get a comprehensiveknowledge of the previous phytochemical work on agiven plant several searches in many databases are re-quired None of these databases are perfect There alsoremain many professional journals not indexed bythese databases which tend to have an American orEuropean slant The PhytoChem Australia CD-ROMhas been released to fill this void as a useful tool forfinding phytochemical information and references onAustralian plants It is intended for those investigatinglsquolsquoagriculture pharmacy toxicology and Aboriginalstudiesrsquorsquo and contains over 2700 references publishedbetween 1940 and 2000 For anyone searching for phy-tochemical information on a plant known to be Aus-tralian in origin this will likely be an indispensabledatabase for references Those working on plants thatare pantropical may also find this database useful inthat many Australian journals not indexed by other da-tabases are included In addition to the ability to searchby family genus or species the authors have includedPDF files with the complete bibliography as well asauthor and plant indices
A functional database is much more than a compi-lation of information however and to be useful itmust transcend the collection of information to provideeasy access We are accustomed to very lsquolsquoclickablersquorsquowebsites and databases that are easy to use so anydatabase entering this arena must be as user-friendlyas possible I found some of the search mechanismssomewhat awkward and the instructions a bit lackingThe drop-down menus for a species will only appearif a genus is selected and likewise the genus drop-down menu will only operate if a family is selectedWhile this isnrsquot a serious problem if you are unsureof a family relationship or the correct spelling you arenot given any help in locating information This is
made more frustrating by the fact that you must alwayschoose lsquolsquoHigher Plantsrsquorsquo from the Plant Type in orderto get a family list I couldnrsquot see the utility of thisfield Among the Algae Bacteria Fungi and Lichencategories there were only 63 total families added tothe database A simpler design would allow the useraccess to drop-down menus without having selected ahigher taxonomic level Search results can be sortedby date or publication but not by author or title Onecan also search the database by compound and com-pound type but no search can be refinedmdashin order torefine a search one must re-enter all plant informationagain
The lsquolsquoCompound Typersquorsquo field is a long and confus-ing-looking list I found a lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo category (10hits) and a lsquolsquoflavonoidsrsquorsquo category (1 hit) There were21 flavonoid subcategories but they unfortunately donot all fall within the general lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo categoryThe additional subcategories could be very helpful butit apparently means that 23 searches would have to beperformed to be sure you are getting all the flavonoidinformation for a plantmdashand each time the plant namewould have to be re-entered The alkaloid subdivisionsfar outnumber the flavonoid subdivisions In a wordcumbersome Another strange detail is the fact thatmost of the journal names are abbreviatedmdashand notabbreviated consistently I saw no reason for not in-cluding the whole journal name I foundlsquolsquoJEthnopharmacologyrsquorsquo (1 hit) and JEthnopharmacol(2 hits) in the drop-down menu and the searchlsquolsquojethnorsquorsquo returned all 3 hits while lsquolsquoJournal of Eth-nopharmacologyrsquorsquo returned no hits
One of the beauties of a database like this howeveris the ability to update and change the information Asit comes the database is protected but designerrsquos con-tact information is included for those wishing to cus-tomize their database Of course it also means that theauthors can continue to update the information andwork out the design flaws for future editions Hope-fully they will It would be well worth the effort
KURT ALLERSLEV REYNERTSON
CUNY PLANT SCIENCES
BRONX NY 10468KREYNERTLEHMANCUNYEDU
Medicinal Plants of the World An Illustrated Sci-entific Guide to Important Medicinal Plants andTheir Uses Van Wyk Ben-Erik and MichaelWink 2004 Timber Press Inc The HaseltineBuilding 133 SW Second Ave Suite 450 Port-land OR 97204 480 pp (hardcover) US$ 3995ISBN 0-88192-602-7
Readers may recognize van Wykrsquos name as the au-thor of Peoplersquos Plants A Guide to Useful Plants ofSouthern Africa (review 55(4)580ndash581) This is a dif-
2004] 497BOOK REVIEWS
ferent contribution by him in partnership with anothercollaborator Van Wyk is a professor of botany at theRand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg while Mi-chael Wink is professor of pharmaceutical biology atthe University of Heidelberg
This book is introduced by a Preface Introductionan abbreviated discussion of world medical systems alist of plant parts used in medicines dosage forms useof medicinal plant products active ingredients qualityand safety efficacy of medicinal plant products andregulation of herbal remedies and phytomedicinesFollowing this are the selected 320 species in alpha-betical order For each species there is a half pagecolor photograph or sometimes two to four Text givesthe scientific name selected English common name(s)a description comments on origins parts used thera-peutic category uses and properties preparation anddosage active ingredients pharmacological effectsnotes and status In smaller font at the bottom of eachpage is the Latin name with authority the family andcommon names in up to four other European languag-es Next are discussions of health disorders and me-dicinal plants an overview of secondary metabolitesand their effects and a lsquolsquoQuick guide to commercial-ised medicinal plantsrsquorsquo that includes more than 900species Finally there is a glossary a list of furtherreading and a general index
The photographs themselves are of extremely highquality and many were taken by the authors Otherswere taken by colleagues who are listed at the end ofthe book (pp 479ndash480) In addition to the main spe-cies discussed there are sometimes photographs of re-lated species For example in addition to Zea maysthere is a photo of Secale cereale This grass is illus-trated because rye pollen sometimes comprises up to92 of what is sold as lsquolsquomaize pollenrsquorsquo
This is one more book from Timber Press that addsto their growing roster of dishonest titles While it istrue that the volume contains plants from around theworld it is not a compendium of lsquolsquoMedicinal Plants ofthe Worldrsquorsquo The true nature of the book appears in thehonest subtitle and in the authorsrsquo preface (p 6) Toobad Timber Press no longer uses titles that reflect thecontent of their books
Still the clear emphasis of this book is Europeanplants There is but a smattering of American AfricanAsian and Australian species The correct emphasis iseasily learned from the common names EnglishFrench German Italian and Spanish None are in Por-tuguese perhaps the third most abundantly used Eu-ropean language in the New World lsquolsquoNeemrsquorsquo is thename of East Indian origin for Azadirachta indica inspite of the fact that it has dozens of others in India(cf Watt 1889 Parrotta 2001)
In spite of my negative comments is this a bookthat people should buy Absolutely unreservedly yesAt the price the book is worth it simply for the pho-tographs Add to that the authoritative text and thecompact lsquolsquoquick guidersquorsquo and it is a real bargain
LITERATURE CITED
Watt George 1889 A dictionary of the economicproducts of India Reprinted 1972 by Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehra Dun India (see VolV211ndash221)
Parrotta John A 2001 Healing plants of peninsularIndia CABI Publishing New York NY
DANIEL F AUSTIN
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM
TUCSON AZ 85743DAUSTINDESERTMUSEUMORG
496 [VOL 58ECONOMIC BOTANY
PhytoChem Australia A Database on AustralianPlant Chemistry 1940ndash2000 [CD-ROM] CollinsD J and C C J Culvenor 2003 CSIRO Pub-lishing PO Box 1139 URL wwwpublishcsiroau Collingwood Vic 3066 Australia AU$29500 ISBN 0643066322
As scientists we use databases on a daily basis tosort data and locate references We also occasionallyconstruct our own databases to help solve researchproblems Large cross-referenced books indices andcyclopedias were the original databases but PCs andnew software have made the database more availableand more useful the Internet has also made many ofthese databases accessible on-line
In natural products chemistry the study of theknown chemical composition of a plant begins withdatabase reference searches There are some searchabledatabases like NAPRALERT that are incredibly com-prehensive and constantly updatedmdashbut expensive fora well-researched plant Chemical Abstracts BiosisMedline and the various academic journal databasesall index differently and to get a comprehensiveknowledge of the previous phytochemical work on agiven plant several searches in many databases are re-quired None of these databases are perfect There alsoremain many professional journals not indexed bythese databases which tend to have an American orEuropean slant The PhytoChem Australia CD-ROMhas been released to fill this void as a useful tool forfinding phytochemical information and references onAustralian plants It is intended for those investigatinglsquolsquoagriculture pharmacy toxicology and Aboriginalstudiesrsquorsquo and contains over 2700 references publishedbetween 1940 and 2000 For anyone searching for phy-tochemical information on a plant known to be Aus-tralian in origin this will likely be an indispensabledatabase for references Those working on plants thatare pantropical may also find this database useful inthat many Australian journals not indexed by other da-tabases are included In addition to the ability to searchby family genus or species the authors have includedPDF files with the complete bibliography as well asauthor and plant indices
A functional database is much more than a compi-lation of information however and to be useful itmust transcend the collection of information to provideeasy access We are accustomed to very lsquolsquoclickablersquorsquowebsites and databases that are easy to use so anydatabase entering this arena must be as user-friendlyas possible I found some of the search mechanismssomewhat awkward and the instructions a bit lackingThe drop-down menus for a species will only appearif a genus is selected and likewise the genus drop-down menu will only operate if a family is selectedWhile this isnrsquot a serious problem if you are unsureof a family relationship or the correct spelling you arenot given any help in locating information This is
made more frustrating by the fact that you must alwayschoose lsquolsquoHigher Plantsrsquorsquo from the Plant Type in orderto get a family list I couldnrsquot see the utility of thisfield Among the Algae Bacteria Fungi and Lichencategories there were only 63 total families added tothe database A simpler design would allow the useraccess to drop-down menus without having selected ahigher taxonomic level Search results can be sortedby date or publication but not by author or title Onecan also search the database by compound and com-pound type but no search can be refinedmdashin order torefine a search one must re-enter all plant informationagain
The lsquolsquoCompound Typersquorsquo field is a long and confus-ing-looking list I found a lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo category (10hits) and a lsquolsquoflavonoidsrsquorsquo category (1 hit) There were21 flavonoid subcategories but they unfortunately donot all fall within the general lsquolsquoflavonoidrsquorsquo categoryThe additional subcategories could be very helpful butit apparently means that 23 searches would have to beperformed to be sure you are getting all the flavonoidinformation for a plantmdashand each time the plant namewould have to be re-entered The alkaloid subdivisionsfar outnumber the flavonoid subdivisions In a wordcumbersome Another strange detail is the fact thatmost of the journal names are abbreviatedmdashand notabbreviated consistently I saw no reason for not in-cluding the whole journal name I foundlsquolsquoJEthnopharmacologyrsquorsquo (1 hit) and JEthnopharmacol(2 hits) in the drop-down menu and the searchlsquolsquojethnorsquorsquo returned all 3 hits while lsquolsquoJournal of Eth-nopharmacologyrsquorsquo returned no hits
One of the beauties of a database like this howeveris the ability to update and change the information Asit comes the database is protected but designerrsquos con-tact information is included for those wishing to cus-tomize their database Of course it also means that theauthors can continue to update the information andwork out the design flaws for future editions Hope-fully they will It would be well worth the effort
KURT ALLERSLEV REYNERTSON
CUNY PLANT SCIENCES
BRONX NY 10468KREYNERTLEHMANCUNYEDU
Medicinal Plants of the World An Illustrated Sci-entific Guide to Important Medicinal Plants andTheir Uses Van Wyk Ben-Erik and MichaelWink 2004 Timber Press Inc The HaseltineBuilding 133 SW Second Ave Suite 450 Port-land OR 97204 480 pp (hardcover) US$ 3995ISBN 0-88192-602-7
Readers may recognize van Wykrsquos name as the au-thor of Peoplersquos Plants A Guide to Useful Plants ofSouthern Africa (review 55(4)580ndash581) This is a dif-
2004] 497BOOK REVIEWS
ferent contribution by him in partnership with anothercollaborator Van Wyk is a professor of botany at theRand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg while Mi-chael Wink is professor of pharmaceutical biology atthe University of Heidelberg
This book is introduced by a Preface Introductionan abbreviated discussion of world medical systems alist of plant parts used in medicines dosage forms useof medicinal plant products active ingredients qualityand safety efficacy of medicinal plant products andregulation of herbal remedies and phytomedicinesFollowing this are the selected 320 species in alpha-betical order For each species there is a half pagecolor photograph or sometimes two to four Text givesthe scientific name selected English common name(s)a description comments on origins parts used thera-peutic category uses and properties preparation anddosage active ingredients pharmacological effectsnotes and status In smaller font at the bottom of eachpage is the Latin name with authority the family andcommon names in up to four other European languag-es Next are discussions of health disorders and me-dicinal plants an overview of secondary metabolitesand their effects and a lsquolsquoQuick guide to commercial-ised medicinal plantsrsquorsquo that includes more than 900species Finally there is a glossary a list of furtherreading and a general index
The photographs themselves are of extremely highquality and many were taken by the authors Otherswere taken by colleagues who are listed at the end ofthe book (pp 479ndash480) In addition to the main spe-cies discussed there are sometimes photographs of re-lated species For example in addition to Zea maysthere is a photo of Secale cereale This grass is illus-trated because rye pollen sometimes comprises up to92 of what is sold as lsquolsquomaize pollenrsquorsquo
This is one more book from Timber Press that addsto their growing roster of dishonest titles While it istrue that the volume contains plants from around theworld it is not a compendium of lsquolsquoMedicinal Plants ofthe Worldrsquorsquo The true nature of the book appears in thehonest subtitle and in the authorsrsquo preface (p 6) Toobad Timber Press no longer uses titles that reflect thecontent of their books
Still the clear emphasis of this book is Europeanplants There is but a smattering of American AfricanAsian and Australian species The correct emphasis iseasily learned from the common names EnglishFrench German Italian and Spanish None are in Por-tuguese perhaps the third most abundantly used Eu-ropean language in the New World lsquolsquoNeemrsquorsquo is thename of East Indian origin for Azadirachta indica inspite of the fact that it has dozens of others in India(cf Watt 1889 Parrotta 2001)
In spite of my negative comments is this a bookthat people should buy Absolutely unreservedly yesAt the price the book is worth it simply for the pho-tographs Add to that the authoritative text and thecompact lsquolsquoquick guidersquorsquo and it is a real bargain
LITERATURE CITED
Watt George 1889 A dictionary of the economicproducts of India Reprinted 1972 by Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehra Dun India (see VolV211ndash221)
Parrotta John A 2001 Healing plants of peninsularIndia CABI Publishing New York NY
DANIEL F AUSTIN
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM
TUCSON AZ 85743DAUSTINDESERTMUSEUMORG
2004] 497BOOK REVIEWS
ferent contribution by him in partnership with anothercollaborator Van Wyk is a professor of botany at theRand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg while Mi-chael Wink is professor of pharmaceutical biology atthe University of Heidelberg
This book is introduced by a Preface Introductionan abbreviated discussion of world medical systems alist of plant parts used in medicines dosage forms useof medicinal plant products active ingredients qualityand safety efficacy of medicinal plant products andregulation of herbal remedies and phytomedicinesFollowing this are the selected 320 species in alpha-betical order For each species there is a half pagecolor photograph or sometimes two to four Text givesthe scientific name selected English common name(s)a description comments on origins parts used thera-peutic category uses and properties preparation anddosage active ingredients pharmacological effectsnotes and status In smaller font at the bottom of eachpage is the Latin name with authority the family andcommon names in up to four other European languag-es Next are discussions of health disorders and me-dicinal plants an overview of secondary metabolitesand their effects and a lsquolsquoQuick guide to commercial-ised medicinal plantsrsquorsquo that includes more than 900species Finally there is a glossary a list of furtherreading and a general index
The photographs themselves are of extremely highquality and many were taken by the authors Otherswere taken by colleagues who are listed at the end ofthe book (pp 479ndash480) In addition to the main spe-cies discussed there are sometimes photographs of re-lated species For example in addition to Zea maysthere is a photo of Secale cereale This grass is illus-trated because rye pollen sometimes comprises up to92 of what is sold as lsquolsquomaize pollenrsquorsquo
This is one more book from Timber Press that addsto their growing roster of dishonest titles While it istrue that the volume contains plants from around theworld it is not a compendium of lsquolsquoMedicinal Plants ofthe Worldrsquorsquo The true nature of the book appears in thehonest subtitle and in the authorsrsquo preface (p 6) Toobad Timber Press no longer uses titles that reflect thecontent of their books
Still the clear emphasis of this book is Europeanplants There is but a smattering of American AfricanAsian and Australian species The correct emphasis iseasily learned from the common names EnglishFrench German Italian and Spanish None are in Por-tuguese perhaps the third most abundantly used Eu-ropean language in the New World lsquolsquoNeemrsquorsquo is thename of East Indian origin for Azadirachta indica inspite of the fact that it has dozens of others in India(cf Watt 1889 Parrotta 2001)
In spite of my negative comments is this a bookthat people should buy Absolutely unreservedly yesAt the price the book is worth it simply for the pho-tographs Add to that the authoritative text and thecompact lsquolsquoquick guidersquorsquo and it is a real bargain
LITERATURE CITED
Watt George 1889 A dictionary of the economicproducts of India Reprinted 1972 by Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehra Dun India (see VolV211ndash221)
Parrotta John A 2001 Healing plants of peninsularIndia CABI Publishing New York NY
DANIEL F AUSTIN
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM
TUCSON AZ 85743DAUSTINDESERTMUSEUMORG
