Flowering Vines Of The World

Evolution of land plant -- Plants and human culture -- Naming plants -- Classification and the angiosperm phylogeny group

Florida ranks third in the U.S. in the number of plants about 4,000 species that cover its landscape. Here at last is an easy-to-use field guide to them all, chock-full of line drawings and color photos. This book will be useful to professional botanists, landscape architects, and homeowners alike.

Plants seldom figure in the grand narratives of war, peace, or even everyday life yet they are often at the center of high intrigue. In the eighteenth century, epic scientific voyages were sponsored by European imperial powers to explore the natural riches of the New World, and uncover the botanical secrets of its people. Bioprospectors brought back medicines, luxuries, and staples for their king and country. Risking their lives to discover exotic plants, these daredevil explorers joined with their sponsors to create a global culture of botany. But some secrets were unearthed only to be lost again. In this moving account of the abuses of indigenous Caribbean people and African slaves, Schiebinger describes how slave women brewed the "peacock flower" into an abortifacient, to ensure that they would bear no children into oppression. Yet, impeded by trade winds of prevailing opinion, knowledge of West Indian abortifacients never flowed into Europe. A rich history of discovery and loss, Plants and Empire explores the movement, triumph, and extinction of knowledge in the course of encounters between Europeans and the Caribbean populations.

With over 4,250 internationally grown trees, shrubs, and climbers listed--every one shown in close-up photographs and alphabetized for quick and easy visual identification--this pictorial dictionary is the most exceptional guide to cultivated plants ever. Rather than providing lengthy and confusing botanical descriptions, the entries get right to the point with information on the country of origin, climatic preference, planting use, and propagation methods. Under each genus, its most relevant species appear, with their common name or names, typical characteristics, and growth habits. The thousands of examples represent all types--tropical, sub-tropical, temperate, mild, cold, desert, and wetland. Home gardeners will find this an excellent way to acquaint themselves with, or expand their knowledge of, the wide and amazing range of available flora; nursery owners will gratefully reach for it when helping customers; and it's a must for landscapers, botanical societies, or anyone who simply appreciates the beauty of plants.