Cycads superficially resemble palms and are often misidentified as such. However, cycads are actually a unique assemblage of primitive plants that have been around for at least 250 million years. They have become highly sought after for gardens, both private and public, and their present status as endangered plants has engendered an upsurge of interest in their conservation. With Cycads of the World, David Jones has achieved that difficult task of writing a scientifically accurate text, which is both easy to read and to understand. For this second edition David Jones has added information covering over 100 new species and subspecies of cycads, and updated his material on the 200 species from the first edition. Each entry includes a full description, distribution and habitat information, and a detailed cultivation and propagation guide. Over 360 color photographs plus many other illustrations and maps facilitate easy identification for all living species. This second edition of Cycads of the World makes a fine addition to the library of anyone interested in exotic plants, including gardeners, landscape architects, horticulturalists, botanists, and the curious reader alike.

Written by retired nurseryman, seedsman and horticultural writer T1000 Decorative Plants, 1983' this book attempts to provide a comprehensive guide to the palms and cycads of the world. Contains information on origins, habitat, propagation and care of both species. Includes colour photographs and descriptions of all known varieties and a detailed index. Profusely illustrated.

"This book, now in its second edition, is the result of years of study and of trips to see and photograph cycads in their natural habitat. Each of the 29 South African species is described in terms of stem, leaves, seeds and cones. Each description is accompanied by a colour plate showing details of male cones, female cones, leaves and plants in their natural environment..."--Book jacket.

Synthesizing theoretical & empirical analyses of the processes that help shape these unique ecosystems, 'Tropical Rainforests' looks at the effects of evolutionary histories, past climate change, & ecological dynamics on the origin & maintenance of tropical rainforest communities.

This volume presents the current state of our knowledge of the classification of the approximately 300 species of cycads. It includes contributions from leading researchers from Australia, China, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand and the USA. It has been developed from papers presented at a workshop held in 2002 at the Montgomery Botanical Center. The book provides guidelines for the designation of species, species boundaries and species groupings, thus clarifying what has been a confused area of research.

The IUCN/SSC Cycad ACtion Plan brings together the best available information on this ancient and fascinating group of plants. Cycads were a dominant part of the earth's flora during the age of the dinosaurs and many species were common even in more recent times. However, many of the 297 species and subspecies dealt with in the Cycad Action Plan have been badly affected by habitat destruction and plant collecting within the last century. As a result, more than half the known species are now classified as threatened, and the cycads stand out as one of the most threatened groups of plants in this world.The Action Plan provides an overview of all the cycads and the threats to their survival. This is followed by separate assessments for the four broad regions where cycads now occur, namely Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, Australia, Asia, and the New World. Trade in cycads has had a substantial impact on wild cycad populations and there is a separate chapter on trade and the effectiveness of control measures such as CITES. In addition, with so many species facing extinction in the wild, garden collections have become increasingly important and we have assessed the global status of cycad collections.Finally, the Cycad Action Plan presents a set of objectives and actions to reduce the threat to cycads in the wild and to provide ex situ conservation for those that almost certainly will become extinct in the wild. Wherever possible, we have tried to identify and build on innovative projects, such as community-based nurseries, and to link cycad consideration with other global and local initiatives such as the conservation of biodiversity hotspots.