Books on aroids and tropicals

From: "Plantguy" <plantguy at mailcity.com> on 1998.05.27 at 13:05:24(2192) I'd like to splurge and add the ULTIMATE tropical plant book(s) to my library. I'm considering: the new "The Genera of Aracae", Exotica, Tropica 4, and would like to add one on bromeliads and maybe succulents. I know some of these are a bit off-topic... Any suggestions? Any feedback on "The Genera of Aracae"? Get your FREE, private e-mail account at http://www.mailcity.com

From: grsjr at juno.com (George R Stilwell, Jr.) on 1998.05.27 at 14:59:37(2194) Plantguy, The sections on Arisaema, Pinellia, and Zantedeschia were a big disappointment. I think like everything that promises to do everything, "The Genera of Aracae" falls short on some genera. If your interest is mostly tropicals, it might be for you. But for those interested in hardy aroids, it will probably disappoint. Ray +More _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

From: plantnut at shadow.net (Dewey Fisk) on 1998.05.27 at 15:08:02(2195) My only comment would be to forget Tropica and get the latest two volume set of Exotica. It is full of errors... but, it is the best that is available..... I have Tropica, Exotica and the two Volume set... Color in Tropica is not only bad.... It is VERY bad.... The IAS has 'Genera....' It is the 'Bible' Dewey +More >I'd like to splurge and add the ULTIMATE tropical plant book(s) to my >library. I'm considering: the new "The Genera of Aracae", Exotica, >Tropica 4, and would like to add one on bromeliads and maybe succulents. >I know some of these are a bit off-topic... Any suggestions? Any >feedback on "The Genera of Aracae"? > > >Get your FREE, private e-mail >account at http://www.mailcity.com Dewey E. Fisk, Plant Nut THE PHILODENDRON PHREAQUE Your Source for Tropical Araceae

From: Plant bob <Plantbob at aol.com> on 1998.05.27 at 18:23:54(2196) I found a very good reference book for tropicals and others by the name of: 'THE A-Z ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GARDEN PLANTS'. It retails for about $80. Most decent book stores should have it under # ISBN 0-7894-1943-2. Bob Kleiser +More plantbob@aol.com

From: "Victor G. Soukup" <soukupvg at email.uc.edu> on 1998.05.27 at 18:31:00(2197) Hi, The Genera of Araceae is generally a very well written and organized compendium of what we know about Aroids. It does have some shortcomings, but these are far outweighed by its plusses. Because I was a beneficiary of some of the seeds of Pseudohydrosme gabunensis for my study of the acid profiles of the seeds of Araceae, I can state that the statement made under that genus that the fruits and seeds are unknown is no longer true. The interest in Aroids is generating new information all the time, and books like this will help push the acquisition of new knowledge -- in turn making the book less complete. But the information carried therein, at least most of it, will remain as the basis on which we will rely -- the ready source to which we refer time and time again. To be sure the emphasis is on tropical genera as Ray has suggested but in general most of us are probably much more likely to need information on those genera which we will have less chance to encounter in their native haunts rather than those which we can, by travelling 50 miles to a state park, see in the various stages of their life cycles. Vic +More At 08:08 AM 5/27/98 -0500, you wrote: >I'd like to splurge and add the ULTIMATE tropical plant book(s) to my library. I'm considering: the new "The Genera of Aracae", Exotica, Tropica 4, and would like to add one on bromeliads and maybe succulents. I know some of these are a bit off-topic... Any suggestions? Any feedback on "The Genera of Aracae"? > > >Get your FREE, private e-mail >account at http://www.mailcity.com > > Victor G. Soukup Assoc. Curator of the Herbarium Department of Biological Sciences P.O. Box 210006 University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006 Herbarium phone: 513-556-9761 e-mail: soukupvg@email.uc.edu

From: Bob Riffle <71270.3070 at compuserve.com> on 1998.05.27 at 20:57:29(2198) Well, if it's just a book on tropical plants IN GENERAL that is needed, may I humbly suggest: THE TROPICAL LOOK: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DRAMATIC LANDSCAPE PLANTS, Robert Lee Riffle, Timber Press, 1998, ISBN: 0-88192-422-9, $49.95. 500 genera of tropical looking plants and nearly 5000 species/cultivars/hybrids. 524 pp., 409 color plates. (16 aroid genera, 50 palm genera, etc.) It is the lead book in the "upcoming titles" section of the new complete catalog from Timber, (800) 327-5680, and has been very favorably reviewed on at least one website and has been in advance sale at amazon.com for more than a month now. Blatantly and shamelessly .... Robert Lee Riffle

From: grsjr at juno.com (George R Stilwell, Jr.) on 1998.05.28 at 03:23:17(2199) Vic, It's a long 50 miles to see the 300+ species of Arisaema growing. Particularly when most are in China, the Himalaya, and Japan. We need a reference book for this genus in the worst way. I guess I got carried away and thought "Aracae" would be a significant first step. Ray +More _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at email.msn.com> on 1998.05.28 at 12:44:22(2200) This fantastic and MOST informative volume is THE difinitive work on the GENERA (not SPECIES!) of ALL known ariods. If one requires information on SPECIES, then one has to look further afield, in volumes such as Deni Bown`s "Aroids-Plants of the aroid family" (now sadly out of print). If one is interested in the genus Arum, then Peter boyce`s wonderful volume on this genus is available. For other genera, one must search one`s BUTT off for information from obscure publications (back issues of Aroideana come to mind). And last but not least, we can do it ourselves by growing, observing and publishing papers on these little-known plants. As one of us noted, new finds are being recorded every day! The fruit and seeds of Pseudohydrosme are no longer unknown, as was said in "the bible", and Zomicarpella sometimes produces up to three infloresences (not only one or two) in each floral sympodium (pers. observation). Let us all be VERY thankful that this group of plants has remained little studied and relatively unknown untill now, which affords US the opportunity to observe and make new discoveries every day we grow them, and that a great void has been filled by The genera of Aroids. Julius +More ju-bo@msn.com

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