This work aims to create awareness and interest in the rich and diverse array of edible medicinal and non-medicinal plants in a multi-compendium format. The edible species dealt with in the book include to a larger extent lesser-known, wild and underutilized crops and some common and widely grown crops that are consumed as fruits, vegetables, culinary herbs, pulses, cereals, spices and condiments, root crops, beverages, mushrooms, edible oils and stimulants. Vegetables covered include species cultivated for their fruits, seeds, flowers, leaves, petioles, shoots and roots or tubers. All relevant available and up-to-date information collated on more than a thousand species of edible, medicinal and non-medicinal plants will be provided in a comprehensive reference series fully illustrated with copious coloured images to help in edible plant and plant part identification.
Each volume will cover about a hundred edible species in alphabetical order. Unlike other books on similar subjects under each species, there will be coloured plates on edible plant and plant parts followed by detailed information arranged in a logical and easy-to-follow format that covers the taxonomy (botanical name and synonyms), common English and vernacular names; origin and distribution; agroecological requirements; edible plant part and uses; plant habit and description; nutritive and medicinal/pharmacological values, uses and relevant research; other non-edible uses; and selected/cited references for further reading.
This work will not cover cultivation aspects as the agronomy of many of the traditional and wild, indigenous species has been little studied or published and for those that are commonly or extensively cultivated there is a plethora of information that have been published in many text and reference books. The first few volumes will focus on edible fruit crops used as food followed by those used as vegetables. Besides indices for scientific and common names, two glossaries are provided, one for medical terms and another for other scientific terms.
Volume 1 covers edible fruits in the families: Actinidiaceae, Anacardiaceae, Annonaceae, Apocynaceae, Araceae, Arecaceae, Averrhoaceae, Betulaceae, Bignoniaceae, Bixaceae, Bombacaceae, Bromeliaceae, Burseraceae, Cactaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Caricaceae, Cuppressaceae and Cycadaceae.
Introduction
Actinidiaceae
Anacardiaceae
Annonaceae
Apocynaceae
Araceae
Arecaceae
Averrhoaceae
Betulaceae
Bignoniaceae
Bixaceae
Bombacaceae
Bromeliaceae
Burseraceae
Cactaceae
Caprifoliaceae
Caricaceae
Cuppressaceae
Cycadaceae
Medical Glossary
Scientific Glossary
Common Name Index
Scientific Name Index
"This remarkable book devotes over 800 pages to plant families whose names begin with the first three letters of the Latin alphabet starting with Actinidaceae (kiwi fruit) and ending with Cycadaceae (cycads). [...] The author summarizes antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities of the plants, along with reports of antivenin, radioprotective, and antiaging properties, some of which are cited in preliminary studies only. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above; informed general readers."
– S. Hammer, Choice, Vol. 49 (11), July, 2012