This publication provides a comprehensive and scientifically accurate guide to the best-known and most important medicinal plants, including those of special commercial or historical interest. It includes descriptions of more than 300 medicinal plants and their close relatives, with each entry summarising botanical background, geographical origin, therapeutic category, historical and modern uses, active ingredients, and pharmacological effects. Over 500 full-color photographs are included to assist in the identification of the plants.

This open access volume presents a comprehensive account of all aspects of biological invasions in South Africa, where research has been conducted over more than three decades, and where bold initiatives have been implemented in attempts to control invasions and to reduce their ecological, economic and social effects. It covers a broad range of themes, including history, policy development and implementation, the status of invasions of animals and plants in terrestrial, marine and freshwater environments, the development of a robust ecological theory around biological invasions, the effectiveness of management interventions, and scenarios for the future. The South African situation stands out because of the remarkable diversity of the country, and the wide range of problems encountered in its varied ecosystems, which has resulted in a disproportionate investment into both research and management. The South African experience holds many lessons for other parts of the world, and this book should be of immense value to researchers, students, managers, and policy-makers who deal with biological invasions and ecosystem management and conservation in most other regions.

"Barbara Jeppe, botanical artist extraordinaire, began work on the paintings in July 1971 and for the next 28 years she collected and painted over 200 species of Amaryllidaceae. After her death in 1999, her daughter, Leigh Voigt, a versatile and highly acclaimed artist herself, picked up where she left off and painted most of the subsequently described species. This thorough easy-to-use guide is the first book dedicated entirely to the 18 genera in the family Amaryllidaceae in southern Africa. Apart from the over 240 exceptional watercolour plates there are detailed distribution maps and magnificent photographs showing plants in typical habitat conditions. The text has been written by one of the most knowledgeable horticulturists and botanists in the field, the inimitable Graham Duncan, who has written many books and articles on bulbs. The comprehensive text includes a full description of each species, a short history of the discovery of each plant, various aspects of growth, pollination, locality preference and affinities with similar species. There is a separate chapter on the cultivation of the species in the summer and winter rainfall areas in southern Africa and also in the northern hemisphere."--Publisher.