Palms Throughout the World [Hardcover]

David L. Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 17, 1995

Presenting an up-to-date introduction to this complex group of plants, Palms Throughout the World describes 800 species in 123 genera and discusses the distribution, biology, propagation, cultivation, and economic importance of palms. The individual species descriptions are arranged in alphabetical order and include common synonyms and references to origin and distribution. Providing multiple species accounts for many genera, David L. Jones focuses on species that are commonly grown throughout the world, species that are collector's items and are mainly grown by enthusiasts, and species that are awaiting introduction to cultivation.

From the familiar and impressive species of Johannesteijsmannia to the dwarf and small palmlets found in the genera of Pinanga and Licuala, Jones presents an authoritative and accessible reference for botanists, horticulturists, and palm enthusiasts. Palms Throughout the World is lavishly illustrated with color and black-and-white photographs and rare engravings.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Palms are an important plant family. Ornamentally, they symbolize a tropical landscape to most of us; economically, they provide important products to millions of people in both subsistence and modern commercial economies. Although both of these books provide a wealth of information on palms, they differ in coverage. Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas takes a botanical approach to help readers identify palms naturally occurring in the Americas. A brief introduction and a key to the genera are followed by descriptions of 67 individual species, including identification, characteristics, habitat, and interesting notes. A separate section of 64 color plates, a distribution map for each species, checklists, and a detailed bibliography and index are also offered. Species descriptions are written by taxonomists but are reasonably comprehensible and interesting to the amateur; unfortunately, there is no glossary to explain technical terms. Palms Throughout the World, an expansion of Jones's popular Palms in Australia (1984), takes a horticultural approach. Its descriptions of 800 species in 123 genera include cultivation and propagation information as well as descriptions, and its 350 color photographs are conveniently located next to the species they illustrate. The long introductory section includes information on the structure, biology, and economic uses of palms as well as their disease and cultivation requirements. A glossary is provided. Both works would be useful in academic horticultural libraries. Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas is the only comprehensive field guide for its area, although Natalie Uhl and John Dransfield's definitive Genera Palmarum (Allen Pr., 1987) provides more detailed botanical information. Palms of the World is a more attractive book and would have greater appeal to general readers.?Marit MacArthur, Auraria Lib., Denver, Col.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Jones divides this encyclopedic work into two parts. The first part deals with structure, economic importance (many communities in the tropics and subtropics depend on palms for their livelihood), cultivation, and pests and diseases. The second part is a 265-page alphabetical listing of about 800 species in 123 genera. Each entry offers information on the plant's origin, distribution, and habitat and describes its general appearance (height as well as the configuration of fronds, leaflets, flowers, and fruit). Included are 445 color photographs, 60 black-and-white line drawings, and a detailed glossary. George Cohen

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 410 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books (July 17, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560986166
• ISBN-13: 978-1560986164
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 1.3 x 10.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #136,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Plants > Trees

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superbly written book from start to finish., August 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Palms Throughout the World (Hardcover)

David Jones book is one that I find hard to put down.I have enjoyed it very much, and will continue to do so for many years to come. Identification of palms is made easy and their re-quirements specified.I am really glad I bought it.

Cheryl Lowe.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Thorough, March 3, 2001

By 

Roger A. Keith (Royal Palm Beach, FL. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Palms Throughout the World (Hardcover)

This is probably one of my most used palm books. It has extensive information on a huge number of palms, such as culture, care, propagation, habit, native habitat, and positive or negative traits. There are many photographs which make this a great book to sit down and browse through, while planning your next project. A great idea book and reference resource. The one difficulty I found, is that many of the palm tree heights are listed in metric without giving any equivalent of what that is in feet, for people in the U.S. Not a huge problem, but I found myself constantly trying to figure out how high something was going to get. Nevertheless, a great book that I highly recommend and a must for everyone interested in palms.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Needs updating, May 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Palms Throughout the World (Hardcover)

At the time of publication this book was the only encyclopedic reference on palm trees. However, the passage of time and new titles such as An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms by Craft and Cultivated Palms of the World by Betrocks with updated information have made this title outdated as well as errors on some of the species and reclassifications. For an update to reference seek the newer publications. My copy sits on my shelf and hardly gets pulled as I prefer the newer publications on this topic.