Written as a reference to be used within University, Departmental, Public, Institutional, Herbaria, and Arboreta libraries, this book provides the first starting point for better access to data on medicinal and poisonous plants. Following on the success of the author's CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names and the CRC World Dictionary of Grasses, the author provides the names of thousands of genera and species of economically important plants. It serves as an indispensable time-saving guide for all those involved with plants in medicine, food, and cultural practices as it draws on a tremendous range of primary and secondary sources. This authoritative lexicon is much more than a dictionary. It includes historical and linguistic information on botany and medicine throughout each volume.

This volume brings together information from myriad sources, including German Commission E monographs and the WHO, to form a highly structured and clear encyclopedia. Entries for each medicinal plant describe classical uses and properties, together with their pharmacology and therapeutic principles. The result highlights the potential of Indian herbs for Western medicine by placing findings on a scientific platform.