The Cactus Family [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Edward Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 16, 2001

Only now, at the beginning of the new millennium, is there an up-to-date, comprehensive study of the cactus family. This long-awaited, monumental work covers the Cactaceae in an encyclopedic manner, addressing 125 genera and 1810 species. The most comprehensive single resource on the subject available today, it includes more than 1000 color photographs in addition to other illustrations. The introduction to each genus concentrates on the discovery of the cacti, and the improvements in our understanding of them, many of which result from relatively recent investigation. As stated in the foreword, "Cacti have a special fascination all their own. Miniature spiny dwarf cacti less than an inch in diameter are hidden in the arid regions of North and South America; the majestic columns of the giant saguaro, Carnegiea gigantea, dominate the deserts of Arizona. Yet all these cacti, given time, offer the surprising paradox of brilliant flowers, their delicacy a striking contrast to the strong spines that keep the viewer at a respectful distance." This remarkable diversity is fully described and illustrated in this authoritative encyclopedia, which is both scientifically accurate and readable. It also includes a chapter by Roger Brown on the cultivation of cacti, making the book even more useful to growers and hobbyists, as well as to taxonomists, ethnobotanists, and conservationists — indeed, anyone interested in succulent plants.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The strange spiny spectacle of cactus plants comes under close and expert scrutiny in this study of great breadth and fascinating detail. Amateur growers and scholars alike will be able to delve into Anderson's treatise and come away with increased understanding of the nearly two thousand species comprising an extraordinary family of New World succulents. On a practical level, Anderson is an eminently inviting writer who delivers intriguing descriptions of the characteristics that set these plants apart. He also presents brief but brilliant surveys of ethnobotany and conservation issues. While more than 1,000 photographs overall illustrate the extraordinary diversity and beautiful flowers of cacti, the main section--an alphabetically arranged reference--will arguably rank as the definitive work readers will use to examine and identify cactus genera, species, and subspecies. Alice Joyce
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"This is a very thorough treatment of the subject – there's little more you could learn about cacti after reading this book ... A book like this enriches our knowledge and may encourage people's interest in growing unusual plants."—American Gardener, May/June 2002 (American Gardener )

"For over eight decades these definitive records ( the publication, The Cactacae) have been the authority on the plant family Catacae. Edward Anderson's The Cactus Family is now the hallmark publication."—Bruce Asakawa, Garden Compass, November 2001 (Bruce Asakawa Garden Compass )

"The real meat of this large, scholarly work is contained in its encyclopedic treatment of the 125 genera of cacti. [The photographs] are superb and will entice many avid collectors." David Salman, American Gardener, September/October 2001 (David Salman American Gardener )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 776 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press; 1st ed edition (March 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881924989
• ISBN-13: 978-0881924985
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Plants > Cacti & Succulents
  • #98 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Botany

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Reference Source!, December 19, 2003

By 

Frat Çng "Firochromis" (Ankara, Turkey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Cactus Family (Hardcover)

Between 1919 and 1923, a landmark publication in four volumes, The Cactaceae, was published by the Carnegie Institution. It remains a landmark publication in the world's literature on cacti. Edward F. Anderson has produced a massive one volume encyclopedic work, which expands and extends the work of Carnegie Institution. This marvelous resource has been well worth waiting for as it is based on Anderson's forty-five years of research on cacti.

The unique attributes of cacti are discussed in five chapters. Cacti occur naturally and are native to what is called "The New World." Only one species of native cacti is found in tropical Africa. In all other countries of the world where cacti are present, their existence is owed to the early explorers who carried cacti back to Europe on their ships and to birds that dispersed cactus seeds throughout the world.

Cacti as food, both for humans and animals, is addressed along with the medicinal uses of cacti. Cacti have long been used for ceremonial and religious purposes by indigenous peoples of the New World and as a source of dyes, especially the beautiful red cochineal dye. A chapter on cacti cultivation has been contributed by Roger Brown. For those interested in growing cacti in their homes and gardens, Brown's advice on containers, potting and repotting, air circulation and ventilation, pests, pesticides, and propagation is a valuable bonus to this specialized encyclopedia.

Pages 105 through 681 contain over 1,000 stunning color photographs (many photographed by Anderson), which are overwhelming in their portrayal of both the beauty and the idiosyncratic nature of cacti. Examples of the photographic artistry found within these glossy pages range from close-up snapshots of cactus flowers and large photographs of intriguing oddities. It will be difficult for cacti enthusiasts to wean themselves from this prodigious book, which weighs almost ten pounds.

The appendices, glossary and indexes are superb. The eight-page double-column international bibliography is comprehensive, spanning over two centuries of research on cacti (the earliest citation is dated 1760 and the latest references are from 2001). This is truly a state-of-the-art source. This splendid work stands alone and at the top of its genre.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dr Anderson - Where have you been all my Life?, June 30, 2001

By 

I. M. Friend "jayessbark" (Wirral, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cactus Family (Hardcover)

This is the ultimate book for any serious cactus collector and grower. Although at first glance it seems daunting in the extreme, a sudden epiphany of understanding dawns as one reads through the book. Written by a scientist and true enthusiast, this book is exhaustive in its desctriptions and naming of cacti, even to the point of honesty, when Dr Anderson explains that many families of cacti are less well understood than others. This book has many scientific and true botanical references in it, but unlike many authors who believe (wrongly) that the reader will possess the same knowledge, Dr Anderson explains all this in great detail at the beginning of the book, with all the nomenclatures the reader and enthusiast is going to be encountering in later chapters. The photographs are stunning and comprehensive, the various different habitat each plant grows in is described, and the very important issue of conservation of valuable species is tackled in a topical and masterful manner. The exact care of each and every plant is not displayed together with its photograph, but at the beginning of the book, and all other aspects of care, from soil, sterilisation of tools, pots, eradication of pests and so on, can also be found there. The very simple but concise drawings of the anatomy of the cactus flower in general are wonderfully understandable, and in the later photgraphic section, any doubts the grower may have about a particular cactus are dispelled by the flower description, from stem to size and colour. There is also a glossary of botanical terms at the end of the book, so there is never a section in the book where the reader is blinded by scientific jargon. I would recommend this book to any seriously interested collector of cacti - the definitive book, in my opinion.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Starting Point for Cactus Taxonomy, March 28, 2001

By 

R. P. Haenni "hardy cactus grower" (Littleton, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Cactus Family (Hardcover)

Edward Anderson has produced a magnum opus from over forty years of research on almost all aspects of Cactaceae. The last thorough attempt to classify all cacti was completed in 1923 by Britton and Rose and is mainly useful now for locality information and as a snapshot of taxonomic thinking of the early 20th century.

Anderson is an expert on cactus ethnobotany and devotes one chapter to how various cultures use cacti for building materials, a source for psychoactive drugs and food, among mnay other uses. A brief section on how to grow cacti by Roger Brown contains valuable tips for beginners but this is not a beginners book. Anderson's most sweeping contribution is a complete revision to the genus Opuntia, based on traditional taxonomy as well as recent DNA and chromosome information.

The Cactus Family is well-illustrated with hundreds of color photographs and most of the cacti are shown in flower. Maps are provided for countries in North and South America but no distribution of the genera described is provided, information that is available elsewhere but not in one reliable source. Anderson humbly admits that cactus taxonomy will never be truly complete and he does focus on the genus and species levels, ignoring the Augean task of defining most varieties and subspecies.

All in all, I highly recommed The Cactus Family to any academic, public or botanical library and to any serious cactus hobbyist as well. Anderson's work will likely be the standard reference for many years to come, providing professional and amateur researchers a solid foundation to base more detailed examinations of individual genera and species.