Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Rod Preston-Mafham (Author), Ken Preston-Mafham (Author)
Key Phrases: sparingly clumping, sparingly offsetting, pink midstripe, Baja California, San Luis Potosi, Nuevo Leon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A unique source of reference."—Wisley Bookshop, Spring 2002 (Wisley Bookshop )

"As identification tools or pre-buyer shopping lists, the [dictionary is] superb ... As inspiration for buying plants for your planter, rock garden, greenhouse or coffee table, [this] illustrated [dictionary offers] years of information and enjoyment."—Coni Tarquini, Hardy Plant, April 2003 (Coni Tarquini Hardy Plant )

"This book is already well known in our hobby and many have reported how useful it has been helping hobbyists with the identification of globular cacti."—Amateurs' Digest, May 2001 (Amateurs' Digest )

A unique source of reference.Wisley Bookshop, Spring 2002 (Wisley Bookshop )

As identification tools or pre-buyer shopping lists, the [dictionary is] superb ... As inspiration for buying plants for your planter, rock garden, greenhouse or coffee table, [this] illustrated [dictionary offers] years of information and enjoyment.Coni Tarquini, Hardy Plant, April 2003 (Hardy Plant )

This book is already well known in our hobby and many have reported how useful it has been helping hobbyists with the identification of globular cacti.Amateurs' Digest, May 2001 (Amateurs' Digest )

Product Description
In honor of growing and collecting cacti, one of the most actively and enthusiastically followed areas of popular horticulture, the author document and photograph over 1,100 species and varieties. The entries are presented alphabetically and contain a full list of alternative names which have been given to the species described.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press, Incorporated (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881924008
• ISBN-13: 978-0881924008
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #219,492 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #12 in	Books > Home & Garden > Gardening & Horticulture > By Plant > Cacti
  #13 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Plants > Cacti & Succulents
  #74 in	Books > Home & Garden > Gardening & Horticulture > Ornamental Plants

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Title Misrepresents Focus on Globular Species, January 16, 2000

By	Jennifer Hamilton (Southern California) - See all my reviews

While this is an excellent identification resource for globular cacti, the title suggests it covers the broader cacti species ~ which it does not. Unfortunately, its companion guide "Succulents-An Illustrated Dictionary" is also an excellent identification resource, but does not cover the balance of the cacti species either. I anxiously await full coverage of the cacti species.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Only the Globular Species Examined, October 20, 1998

By	Tommie Pennebaker (West Columbia,Texas, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a good encyclopedia of the globular species of cacti, but unfortuately, this is as far as it goes. The photos are good and precise. Another aspect to look at is that none of the column cactus are listed. Also, the measurements and expected size of the cactus plants are not detailed, so you just have to look and guess. I also wish that the measurements were in inches instead of the metric system. After all is said and done, this could be a good starting point for the very amateur cactus enthusiast!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent pictorial dictionary, September 27, 2000

By	David Thurbon (Canberra, A.C.T. Australia) - See all my reviews

This book provides pictures of most of the small globular cacti. It is excellent for identification of your plants, determining which plants interest you and what those plants in a nursery catalogue look like. It has a short desciption of each plant and its place of origin which may help with cultivation if you know the conditions in that area. It does not cover the columnar cacti or the opuntias so if these are your interest then this book may not be for you. Otherwise, I find it to be amoung the most valuable book in my collection since I am only interested in the appearance of my plants. It allows me to choose which cacti are the most interesting in appearance so I can order them from cactus nurseries.