Medicinal and Non - medicinal Edible Plants. Vol. 1. 2012. Many col.figs. XV, 835 p. gr8vo. Hardcover.

This work aims to create awareness and interest in the rich and diverse array of edible medicinal and non-medicinal plants in amulti - compendium format. The edible species dealt with in thebook include to a larger extent lesser-known, wild and underutilized crops and some common and widely grown crops that are consumed as fruits, vegetables, culinary herbs, pulses, cereals, spices and condiments, root crops, beverages, mushrooms, edible oils and stimulants. Vegetables covered include species cultivated for their fruits, seeds, flowers, leaves, petioles, shoots and roots or tubers. All relevant available and up-to-date information collated on more than a thousand speciesof edible, medicinal and non-medicinal plants will be provided in a comprehensive reference series fully illustrated with copious coloured images to help in edible plant and plant part identification. Each volume will cover about a hundrededible species in alphabetical order. Unlike other books on similar subjects under each species, there will be coloured plates on edible plant and plant parts followed by detailed information arranged in a logical and easy-to-follow format that covers thetaxonomy (botanical name and synonyms), common English and vernacular names; origin and distribution; agroecological requirements; edible plant part and uses; plant habit and description; nutritive and medicinal/pharmacological values, uses and relevant research; other non-edible uses; and selected /cited references for further reading. This work will not cover cultivation aspects as the agronomy of many of the traditional and wild, indigenous species has been little studied or published and for those that are commonly or extensively cultivated there is a plethora of information that have been published in many text and reference books. The first few volumes will focus on edible fruit crops used as food followed by those used as vegetables. Besides indices for scientific and common names,two glossaries are provided, one for medical terms and another for other scientific terms. This work will be of significant interest to scientists, researchers, practitioners (medical practitioners, pharmacologists, ethnobotanists, horticulturists, food nutritionists, agriculturists, botanists, herbalogists, herbologists, naturalists, conservationists, extension scientists, teachers, lecturers), students and the general public.