Myrtaceae is the ninth largest flowering plant family; it is economically important in the production of timber, gums, essential oils, fruits and spices, and contains many commonly cultivated ornamentals. The family is particularly rich in large genera, often found in some of the world's most threatened ecosystems, where their fruits comprise an important part of the diet of primates and birds. The similarity of Myrtaceae species is high, and its taxonomic and nomenclatural history is complex, resulting in notorious difficulties in basic identification, inventory compilation and floristic treatment. The World Checklist of Myrtaceae is a much needed work that lists all validly published names in the family, providing the source of their publication and indicating which names are currently accepted and which are synonyms. It will be respected as the standard nomenclatural reference for further research into this important family.

Syzygium is a well-known source of the globally traded clove as well as the widely cultivated jambolan, water apple, rose apple, wax apple, mountain apple, and several other underutilized species. These plants have multiple uses as edible fruits, medicine, spice, food colorants, and flavorings. The Genus Syzygium: Syzygium cumini and Other Underutilized Species provides an updated, comprehensive account of S. cumini and other underutilized species from a multidisciplinary perspective. This book covers all relevant aspects including the botany, systematics, phylogeny, life history, traditional medicinal uses, phytochemical constituents, pharmacology, pharmacopeia standards, horticulture, genetic resource conservation, biocontrol, and bioremediation values. It demonstrates how Syzygium cumini and other underutilized species hold great prospect for global pharmaceutical and horticultural trade. The Genus Syzygium will serve as the standard reference for a broad range of researchers interested in the various uses of S. cumini and eight underutilized Indo-Malaysian and Australasian species of Syzygium.

This book continues as volume 3 of a multi-compendium on Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants. It covers edible fruits/seeds used fresh or processed, as vegetables, spices, stimulants, edible oils and beverages. It encompasses species from the following families: Ginkgoaceae, Gnetaceae, Juglandaceae, Lauraceae, Lecythidaceae, Magnoliaceae, Malpighiaceae, Malvaceae, Marantaceae, Meliaceae, Moraceae, Moringaceae, Muntigiaceae, Musaceae, Myristicaceae and Myrtaceae. This work will be of significant interest to scientists, researchers, medical practitioners, pharmacologists, ethnobotanists, horticulturists, food nutritionists, agriculturists, botanists, conservationists, lecturers, students and the general public. Topics covered include: taxonomy; common/English and vernacular names; origin and distribution; agroecology; edible plant parts and uses; botany; nutritive and pharmacological properties, medicinal uses and research findings; nonedible uses; and selected references.

Provides information on plant name (taxon, author, first published work), range of distribution, country of origin, hardiness, life form (family in case of genera).

This book continues as volume 3 of a multi-compendium on Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants. It covers edible fruits/seeds used fresh or processed, as vegetables, spices, stimulants, edible oils and beverages. It encompasses species from the following families: Ginkgoaceae, Gnetaceae, Juglandaceae, Lauraceae, Lecythidaceae, Magnoliaceae, Malpighiaceae, Malvaceae, Marantaceae, Meliaceae, Moraceae, Moringaceae, Muntigiaceae, Musaceae, Myristicaceae and Myrtaceae. This work will be of significant interest to scientists, researchers, medical practitioners, pharmacologists, ethnobotanists, horticulturists, food nutritionists, agriculturists, botanists, conservationists, lecturers, students and the general public. Topics covered include: taxonomy; common/English and vernacular names; origin and distribution; agroecology; edible plant parts and uses; botany; nutritive and pharmacological properties, medicinal uses and research findings; nonedible uses; and selected references.

After a career working and living with American Indians and studying their traditions, Barre Toelken has written this sweeping study of Native American folklore in the West. Within a framework of performance theory, cultural worldview, and collaborative research, he examines Native American visual arts, dance, oral tradition (story and song), humor, and patterns of thinking and discovery to demonstrate what can be gleaned from Indian traditions by Natives and non-Natives alike. In the process he considers popular distortions of Indian beliefs, demystifies many traditions by showing how they can be comprehended within their cultural contexts, considers why some aspects of Native American life are not meant to be understood by or shared with outsiders, and emphasizes how much can be learned through sensitivity to and awareness of cultural values. Winner of the 2004 Chicago Folklore Prize, The Anguish of Snails is an essential work for the collection of any serious reader in folklore or Native American studies.

"Wildlife in a Changing World" presents an analysis of the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Beginning with an explanation of the IUCN Red List as a key conservation tool, it goes on to discuss the state of the world s species and provides the latest information on the patterns of species facing extinction in some of the most important ecosystems in the world, highlighting the reasons behind their declining status. Areas of focus in the report include: freshwater biodiversity, the status of the world s marine species, species susceptibility to climate change impacts, the Mediterranean biodiversity hot spot, and broadening the coverage of biodiversity assessments."