Readers of this expansive, three-volume encyclopedia will gain scientific, sociological, and demographic insight into the complex relationship between plants and humans across history. Comprising three volumes and approximately half a million words, this work is likely the most comprehensive reference of its kind, providing detailed information not only about specific plants and food crops such as barley, corn, potato, rice, and wheat, but also interdisciplinary content that draws on the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The entries underscore the fascination that humans have long held for plants, identifies the myriad reasons why much of life on earth would be impossible without plants, and points out the intertwined relationship of plants and humans—and how delicate this balance can be. While the majority of the content is dedicated to the food plants that are essential to human existence, material on ornamentals, fiber crops, pharmacological plants, and carnivorous plants is also included.

The Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms is the definitive account of all palms that can be grown for ornamental and economic use. Palms are often underutilized as a result of their unfamiliarity—even to tropical gardeners. To help introduce these valuable plants to a new audience, the authors have exhaustively documented every genus in the palm family. 825 species are described in detail, including cold hardiness, water needs, height, and any special requirements. Generously illustrated with more than 900 photos, including photos of several palm species that have never before appeared in a general encyclopedia, The Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms is as valuable as an identification guide as it is a practical handbook. Interesting snippets of history, ethnobotany, and biology inform the text and make this a lively catalog of these remarkable plants.

Undoubtedly the applications of polymers are rapidly evolving. Technology is continually changing and quickly advancing as polymers are needed to solve a variety of day-to-day challenges leading to improvements in quality of life. The Encyclopedia of Polymer Applications presents state-of-the-art research and development on the applications of polymers. This groundbreaking work provides important overviews to help stimulate further advancements in all areas of polymers. This comprehensive multi-volume reference includes articles contributed from a diverse and global team of renowned researchers. It offers a broad-based perspective on a multitude of topics in a variety of applications, as well as detailed research information, figures, tables, illustrations, and references. The encyclopedia provides introductions, classifications, properties, selection, types, technologies, shelf-life, recycling, testing and applications for each of the entries where applicable. It features critical content for both novices and experts including, engineers, scientists (polymer scientists, materials scientists, biomedical engineers, macromolecular chemists), researchers, and students, as well as interested readers in academia, industry, and research institutions.

Cultivated Plants, Primarily as Food Sources is a component of Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. Global food demand is forecast to double and possible triple, by the year 2050, when more than 10 billion people will need to be fed worldwide. To ensure adequate nutrition for this growing population food production must be expanded faster than the population. Following a longer introduction chapter with some information on the history of crop production, the land used for agriculture, the cropping systems and the future trends, comes the knowledge in depth: The grain and cereal, the edible been plants, the vegetables and plants for edible starch, oil, sugar and beverage production, the fruits and nuts, the fiber, forage and industrial crops. Each subject contains glossary and bibliography for better and deeper understanding. At each important plant the history, the production technology, the importance of the crop in nutrition of growing population, the feeding value, some short case stories, and the future trends are discussed. When considering plant foods in relation to human health, it should be remembered that plant foods may also have health value in addition to their nutritional value. It would seem possible to modify the composition of plant foods as to improve human health. In developing countries, poverty leads to food shortage and under nutrition and many populations survive largely on plant-based diets. In industrialized countries, relative affluence leads to over consumption of food and especially to over-consumption of animal foods at the expense of plant foods. These two volumes, cultivated plants, primarily as food sources, help to get more detailed knowledge to overcome the mentioned problem of the World. These volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College Students Educators, Professional Practitioners, Research Personnel and Policy Analysts, Managers, and Decision Makers, NGOs and GOs.

Cultivated Plants, Primarily as Food Sources is a component of Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. Global food demand is forecast to double and possible triple, by the year 2050, when more than 10 billion people will need to be fed worldwide. To ensure adequate nutrition for this growing population food production must be expanded faster than the population. Following a longer introduction chapter with some information on the history of crop production, the land used for agriculture, the cropping systems and the future trends, comes the knowledge in depth: The grain and cereal, the edible been plants, the vegetables and plants for edible starch, oil, sugar and beverage production, the fruits and nuts, the fiber, forage and industrial crops. Each subject contains glossary and bibliography for better and deeper understanding. At each important plant the history, the production technology, the importance of the crop in nutrition of growing population, the feeding value, some short case stories, and the future trends are discussed. When considering plant foods in relation to human health, it should be remembered that plant foods may also have health value in addition to their nutritional value. It would seem possible to modify the composition of plant foods as to improve human health. In developing countries, poverty leads to food shortage and under nutrition and many populations survive largely on plant-based diets. In industrialized countries, relative affluence leads to over consumption of food and especially to over-consumption of animal foods at the expense of plant foods. These two volumes, cultivated plants, primarily as food sources, help to get more detailed knowledge to overcome the mentioned problem of the World. These volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College Students Educators, Professional Practitioners, Research Personnel and Policy Analysts, Managers, and Decision Makers, NGOs and GOs.

A superb reference for anyone interested in the world's tropical flora.

Horticulture has remained far behind in understanding of botanical principles. Recent phylogenetic (DNA-based) reorganization of higher plants has revolutionized taxonomic treatments of all biological entities, even when morphology does not completely agree with their organization. This book is an example of applying principals of botanical phylogenetic taxonomy to assemble genera, species, and cultivars of 200 vascular plant families of ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms that are cultivated for enhancement of human living space; homes, gardens, and parks. The emphases are on cultivated species but examples of some plants are often shown in the wild and in landscapes. In providing descriptions, it is assumed that students and other interested individuals have no background in general botany (plant characteristics), or nomenclature. Fundamental features of all plant groups discussed are fully illustrated by original watercolor drawings or photographs. Discussion of the families is grounded on recent botanical phylogenetic treatments, which is based on common ancestry (monophyly). Of course, phylogenetic taxonomy is not a new concept, and was originally based on morphological characteristics; it is the DNA-based phylogeny that has revolutionized modern biological classifications. In practical terms, this book represents the horticultural treatment that corresponds to phylogenetic-based botanical taxonomy, to which is added cultigens and cultivated genera and species. Hence, the harmony between horticultural and botanical taxonomy. This book covers phylogenetic-based taxonomy of Angiosperms (Eudicots). A companion volume covers Ferns, Gymnosperms, and Angiosperms (Monocots).