Customer Reviews

Palms Throughout the World Hb

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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Cultivated Palms by Craft and Cultivated Palms of the World by Betrocks with updated information have made this title outdated as well as errors on some of the species and reclassifications.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.

I have been reading books on palms for the last 2 years. Many are extremely superficial treatments of appearances only. Others are extremely detailed and not very useful to the non-botanist/horticulturalist. This book has a satisfying combination of background on a variety of palms, basic palm information, and excellent photographs. I would have liked more horticultural information regarding seed propagation, light and soil requirements for the specific species. Overall, however, you need this book.

I use this wonderful book on a regular basis for identifing species on catalog lists. I consider this one of my primary palm books. Great for the novice or nurseryman. Easy to read. I would love to see more cultural information in the next edition. However, I would be lost without this book.
...John TexasGardenCenter.com

This book, with all its faults, nevertheless contains much valuable info on palm horticulture that is lacking in the other popular books.Still worthwhile having.

This book is very well illustrated with photos and drawings. I bought it new at a good discounted price of about $48 US. I was looking for a text that would provide some evidence for or against my new Flowering Leaf Theory. Basically I have been photographing and observing palms closely since 2006 and now believe the palm flower cluster, or inflorescence, is one shortened fertile or flowering leaf. I feel that botanists are mistaken in calling this inflorescence a stem as this organ is lateral on the trunk, and abscises or drops off just like true leaves when the seeds are mature. If my interpretation is correct this links palms to fossil Seed Ferns many of which which had seeds developing on large leaves. A living relative of Seed Ferns a Cycad tree, Cycas revoluta, also has very shortened leaves that bear seeds. So there you are ovules becoming seeds and growing on leaves and not not not the stem. The Theory's conclusion was there all along. This has big implications for plant evolution and it has ruffled a few botanical feathers. If the Theory holds flower clusters (inflorescences) worldwide will have to be reinterpreted.

You can read a condensed explanation of my Flowering(fertile)Leaf Theory in the September 2011 issue of The Osprey magazine, published by the Nature Society of Newfoundland & Labrador and also the Sept. 2011 issue of Sarracenia (wildflower) magazine. You can also contact me to discuss it cowboy4444@hotmail com. There is also an early 2011 long draft in eslteachersboard.com under my name.

BTW, I did find a bit of drawn evidence supporting The Theory in this lovely book of palms. The climbing palms (Rattan etc.) have the terminal leaflets of the leaf transformed (evolved) to thorns and this aids forest climbing. Palm specialists call this a "whip". Surprise, surprise, the terminal part of the inflorescence (flowering leaf) is also a whip, barbed just like the photosynthetic or true leaves. My conclusion is that they are BOTH leaves and specialized for different functions. I am collecting more evidence in the monocots, especially in banana, grasses, Aloe and Allium. Would like to correspond with interested individuals while I seek more evidence.

This book is great for those interested in learning about palms. It has great information and pictures on many types of palms. I look forward to any upcoming editions to this one.