"This book is for the person who lives in the tropics or subtropics and is interested in native plants, who wants to know about plants that are useful, who loves to watch plants grow, and who is willing to work with them. Such a person might ask questions like, Where will they grow? How do I grow them? Are they good to eat? How are they used? What are their names? These questions and more are answered here."--Préface

Palms of the Fiji Islands has been written for the interested layman and contains chapters on: Fiji and its vegetation; an account of the palm flora - its origin and closest relatives; the most up to date taxonomic classification; species accounts with Fijian ethno-botanical information; distribution maps and, a detailed analysis of conservation issues. Information on the cultivation of Fiji's Palms is also provided. Palms of the Fiji Islands is richly illustrated with fifty eight colour illustrations of all the palms in their natural habitats, and detailed close ups of their fruit. All the illustrations are by the renowned wildlife artist, George Bennett. What we know about Fiji's palms give rise to serious concern. Indeed over half of Fiji's endemic palms are on the world Red List of endangered plants. Their plight is a microcosm of the plight of Fiji's forests which are being butchered and burned, year in and year out, with hardly a murmur of public concern.