A decade of work went into Ahmed Fayaz' Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants (Bateman hardback) and it shows.
More than 3000 tropical and subtropical plants are listed with photographs illustrating almost every one. There are also cultivation notes, so the book is likely to appeal to gardeners. The title may be off-putting to southerners but there are many we think of as hardy plants included - Ginkgo biloba, jockey's cap (Tigridia pavonia), Dianella, New Zealand Easter orchids (Earina species) and watsonias, for example, all of which grow well in most of Otago and Southland.
Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants uses a new classification system (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group), which makes comparing closely related plants easier than old alphabetical listings. The 720-page book isn't cheap, retailing at about $150, but it is well worth the outlay as a significant reference volume.
- Gillian Vine
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