This second edition provides a comprehensive list of the latest taxonomy including the updated relevant plant data. All succulent species of the monocotyledonous plant families and genera are described in detail. This work will be particularly useful to botanists, plant taxonomists and scholars as well as to herbaria and botanic gardens. It will also appeal to the committed collector of succulent plants, horticultural cognoscenti and succulent plant lovers.
Dr Urs Eggli studied botany at the University of Zürich, and produced a monographic study of the genus Rosularia for his PhD Subsequently he became scientific assistant at the Sukkulenten-Sammlung Zürich, Switzerland, where he continues to curate the herbarium, and where he is responsible for public education, special exhibits and all aspects of information dissemination. His main focus of interest is the diverse biological aspects of succulent plants. He is an expert in the classification of succulents, esp. of the families Crassulaceae and Cactaceae, and a specialist of nomenclature. He travelled widely to study succulent plants in habitat, esp. in Latin America. His numerous publications cover a diversity of aspects of the biology of succulent plants. Since 1995 he is the editor of the annual Repertorium Plantarum Succulentarum. During 2001-2003 he edited 4 volumes of the first edition of the present series, and 2005 he translated and revised a monograph of the Cactaceae. He was awarded the Cactus d’Or by the International Organisation for Succulent Plant Study in 2015.
Dr Reto Nyffeler studied biology at the University of Zürich. In 1997 he received a doctor’s degree with a PhD thesis on the systematics of the tribe Notocacteae (Cactaceae) from South America. Subsequently, he spent four years as a postdoctoral student at Harvard University and Stanford University and conducted during that stay the first comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study of Cactaceae. Since 2002 he is the curator for the vascular plant collections at the United Herbaria of the University and ETH Zurich and he is a lecturer for plant systematics at the Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich. His research focuses on the systematics of succulent plants and on the history of botany. During the past two decades, he published several papers on succulents from different plant families in collaboration with Dr Urs Eggli.
Reviews of the first edition:
"This series is a reference manual for taxonomists and horticultural cognoscenti. It compiles up-to-date information not readily available from other sources [...] . This series is invaluable to identify succulents, by either picture keying [...] or by formal text keying. [...] The volumes are well produced. [...] this is an excellent series, a significant contribution to the literature, and a superb production. [...] This fine series is a boon to all aficionados of succulents [...] ."
– Rudolf Schmid, Taxon, Vol. 52, 2003
"This Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants [...] presents the newest stand of knowledge in all aspects of this group of plants. [...] the cross reference index is very helpful. [...] this comprehensive taxonomic work updating the increased knowledge of succulents in 20 years is well suited and highly recommended to all plant scientists, including herbarium staff, and horticulturists, and to the wide range of fascinated hobbyists. [...] this volume will find a very wide readership [...] ."
– Norbert Leist, Journal of Plant Physiology, Vol. 159 (7), 2002
"Here is the first volume of the new Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants [...] . My first impression with the book in my hand was of pleasure. It is very well produced, accurately bound, with an excellent cover design. [...] No doubt that such a work is particularly useful to the botanist and the scholar, as well as to the serious collector. But I have no hesitation to state that any succulent plant lover should find a place for it in his library [...] ."
– L. Russo, Botanybooks, September, 2001
"We are promised a total of six volumes on [...] succulents under the title of the Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants. [...] The first of these volumes to appear is the one on monocotyledons. [...] this is an excellent introduction to the plant groups covered and as a rigorous compilation of both diagnostic and bibliographic information is without peers. [...] It is essential for the committed collector of succulent plants and mandatory for libraries of plant societies, herbaria and botanic gardens."
– Paul I. Forster, Plant Systematics and Evolution, Vol. 229 (1-2), 2001