Tropical Plants of the World [Hardcover]

Jens G. Rohwer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2002

Sumptuous photos show off more than 250 dazzling tropical species from the lush terrain of Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa...everywhere the climate nurtures seductively fragrant blossoms and luxuriant foliage. The in-depth information on palms, shrubs, vines, herbs, ferns, water plants, and of course, magnificent, vibrant blooms will prove invaluable to gardeners wanting something special.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Identify some of the most magnificent tropical plants in lush color photographs and in-depth descriptions. While many ornamental species add a little tropical atmosphere to our homes, the full splendor of their seductively fragrant blossoms and luxuriant foliage is hardly ever reached outside their natural setting due to a lack of light or humidity. Whether you're planning a journey to an exotic place or a visit to your nearby botanical garden, the information on these plants will prove both fascinating and useful.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (April 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806983876
• ISBN-13: 978-0806983875
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,952,757 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty neat?, March 29, 2003

By 

P. van Rijckevorsel (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tropical Plants of the World (Hardcover)

This is a book with a familiar set-up: a page with two color pictures showing the flower(s) of a tropical plant, with on the opposite page a concise supporting text. It is a pity the book is not a little bigger, which would have allowed the pictures to be printed at a higher magnification. But I guess the size comes with the territory (and the price). The pictures are all of a decent quality (or better).

The author is a wellknown and top rank German botanist and the quality does shine through. However the original book was written in German, and the translation was quite lackadaisical. The Introduction contains some errors not even a novice botanist would have made: there is a caption where Tillandsia is called an Orchid and a caption that calls a flush of young Brownea leafs "leaf shedding". The bit on Plant names in the Introduction is even worse off.

Note that no synonyms are provided, which means that it may be hard to use this book alongside other works, of an earlier date. Those looking for Chorisia speciosa or Tabebuia pentaphylla will have to know to look for Ceiba speciosa and Tabebuia rosea or they won't find them.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible and informative, June 12, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Tropical Plants of the World (Hardcover)

This is probably one of the better handbooks on tropical plants out today. It nicely blends text and images to give the beginner/amateur a solid understanding of the range of these beautiful plants and the expert a guide for tracking them down. The photos are wonderful and the writing is clear and precise. A must for plant enthusiasts.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A full-color guide for the traveler, June 8, 2008

By 

linda's books "Linda Abbott Trapp, PhD, autho... (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tropical Plants of the World (Hardcover)

A well-organized, informative guidebook. Each entry includes most important features, growth structure, leaves, flowers, fruits, occurence, other names, and additional information, illustrated with one or two photos designed to aid in identification. A great deal of data in a small package with, unfortunately, very small print. In addition to the standard categories of trees, palmlike plants, bushes, and climbing plants, there are sections on herbs, crops, epiphytes, and water plants a well. Index. For additional information on a number of these plants, see Ornamental Plants & Flowers of Tropical Mexico.