Reviews

5 Pages·2000·0.54 MB·English

by  Van Valkenburg, Johan L C H

248 BLUMEA Vol. 45, No. 1,2000
Reviews
S. BODEGOM, P.B. PELSER & P.J.A. KEBLER: Seedlings of secondary forest tree
species ofEastKalimantan, Indonesia/Semai-semaipohon hutansekunderdi
KalimantanTimur, Indonesia.Tropenbos-Kalimantan Series 1. TheInternational
MOFEC-Tropenbos-Kalimantan Project. 1999.376 pp.,illus.ISBN 90-5113-037-6.
Price: NLG75.
Sustainableforestmanagementis morethanlimiting harvesting volumeoftimber
in tall forest areas. Reclamationandrestorationof depleted forest areas is gaining
importance as areasofremaining tallforestare diminishing.Irrespective ofthecausal
factorsbeitunsustainablelogging, mining or forestfires, secondary forestresulting
fromtheseactivities deservespecial attention.In EastKalimantanawidevariety of
trees hasbeenusedforreforestationofareasaffectedby thedevastatingfiresof 1982-
1983.Theseattemptsinvolvedexoticaswellasindigenous species, andresultsvaried
considerably. The 1998firesthatraged through thearea sadly destroyed mostofthe
successful trials.Gradually emphasis ofreforestationhas shiftedtowards theuseof
indigenous species,whichare obviously welladaptedtotheoftenveryharshconditions
ofsecondary scrub vegetation. Theproblem is to findandidentify thesegood alter-
natives.
Identifying seedlings is often very difficult, as they may differconspicuously in
theirgeneral morphology from theadult stagesandmany distinguishing characters
areoftennotyetpresent(e.g. charactersofflowersandfruits). Inthismanualaselection
ofthesecondary foresttree species as encounteredinvariousareasofEastKalimantan
ispresented. Circumstancesresulting fromthe 1998forestfiresprevented atraditional
approach ofcollecting seed from mothertrees and raising seedlings under nursery
conditions.Instead wildings were collectedin various secondary habitats.Fruiting
trees were relatively rare at thetime ofthis study, which explains the absence of
certain, less regularly fruiting, species in thebook.However, this may well be con-
sideredafirstselectionconcerning availability ofplanting materialforreforestation
purposes. Informationon habitatandecology is briefly mentioned,to giveafirst in-
dicationofsuitability in reforestation. In December 1999Ihad the opportunity to
very quickly testthemanualinthefieldinEastKalimantan.Grabbing seedlings along
aroadsideinbadly depleted forestresultedinsuccessful identificationoftheplants in
over 90percentof thematerial.Whereasthemanualis intendedforseedlings upto6
months, identificationofolderplants workedremarkably well.
Troup (1921),Burger (1972), DeVogel (1980),and Ng(1991-1992) describeand
discuss manyseedlings oftheMalesianarea,buttheseauthorsoffernogeneral identi-
ficationkeys. Thismanualprovides descriptions andidentificationkeys forseedlings
of 113taxaof secondary foresttrees(representing 40plant families),aswellasdraw-
ings,colourphotographs ofalmostall speciesandanextensive glossary. Thedataare
presentedinauser-friendly bilingual fieldguide(English/Indonesian) andwillenable
people without athorough botanical background to identify manyofthecommon
secondary forest tree species ofEastKalimantan. Thismanualis yetanother tool
fromtheTropenbos WanarisetHerbariumto graduallyfillastilllargelyempty toolbox
toremedy thestrongly depleted forestareas in EastKalimantan.
Johan+L.C.H. vanValkenburg
Reviews 249
References:
Burger,D. 1972.SeedlingsofsometropicaltreesandshrubsmainlyofSouthEastAsia.Wageningen.
De Vogel, E.F. 1980. Seedlingsof dicotyledons.Structure, development,types.Descriptions of
150 woodyMalesian taxa. Wageningen.
Ng, F.S.P. 1991-1992. Manual offorestfruits,seeds and seedlings. 2volumes. MalayanForest
Record No34. Kepong.
Troup, R.S. 1921.Silviculture ofIndian trees. 3 volumes. Oxford.
M.D.DASSANYAKE&W.D. CLAYTON:ARevisedHandbooktotheFloraofCeylon.
VolumeXIII.1999.284pp.A.A.Balkema,Rotterdam.ISBN90-5410-791-X.Price:
EUR 76.50(NLG 170).
Thisnew volumeoftherevisedhandbookoftheFloraofCeylon containstreatments
of31 families, includinganadditiontothetreatmentoftheEuphorbiaceae inVolume
XI.As intheearliervolumesitcontainsfulldescriptions offamilies, genera,andspe-
cies, andkeys whennecessary.The descriptions include synonymy,notes on distribu-
tion andecology, andlistsofexaminedspecimens.
Thetreatments seemmostlycorrect andupto date,although insomecasesamore
extensivereferenceto recentliteratureandvolumesofFloraMalesianawouldbeap-
propriate. Severalnew taxa andnew combinationsare published inthis volume.
Forthose withaninterestinthe floraof Sri Lankathevolumeis ausefuladdition
totheexisting literature.
FRITS ADEMA
C.C. DE GUZMAN& J.S. SIEMONSMA (eds.): Plant ResourcesofSouthEast Asia.
No. 13.Spices. BackhuysPublishers, Leiden, TheNetherlands, 1999.400pp.,illus.
ISBN90-5782-046-3.Price: NLG225 (hardcover). [A paperback edition(NLG90)
will beavailable in2001. For developing countries apaperback edition(ISBN979-
9316-34-7;pricec. USD 15)can beorderedfromthePROSEAofficeatBogor, Indo-
nesia.]
ThePROSEAproject hasreachedanothermilestonewiththepublication ofvolume
13on spices.
Inalongintroductorychapterthefollowingtopicsare discussed:definitionofspices,
choiceoftaxa,biological, economicandotheraspects, planting,harvesting,literature.
Thisisfollowedbyanextensivetreatmentof50selectedtaxa;sequenceisalphabetical
by genusname.Thetreatmentsgive detailedinformationon vernacularnames,origin,
distribution,production, properties, description, propagation, diseases,breeding,and
literature. Minorspices are not treated in full,but are listed inafollowing chapter.
Thislistincludesalsospiceplants withotherprimary uses. Somespeciesofthiscate-
gorycouldas wellbetreatedinthepresentvolume.Examples: CapsicumandAllium
(vol. 8,Vegetables), Cymbopogon (vol. 19,Essentialoils),Kaempferia(vol. 12,Medici-
nalplants), Tamarindus(vol.2,Fruitsandnuts).Afewratherwidely usedspice plants
are not mentionedatall:Averrhoabilimbi, Garciniaatroviridis, Sarcothecaspecies.
As wehavecometoexpectfromPROSEApublications, printingisexcellent.Treat-
mentofvarioustaxa,although byalargenumberofauthors, isremarkably consistent,
whichisacompliment totheeditors.As usual thereis acheapeditionfor developing
countries.
M.M.J. van Balgooy
250 BLUMEA Vol. 45, No. 1,2000
F. KLOTZLI & G.-R. WALTHER (eds.): Conference onRecent ShiftsinVegetation
BoundariesofDeciduousForests, Especially Due to GeneralGlobal Warming.
BirkhauserVerlag, Basel,Boston, Berlin, 1999.342pp., illus. ISBN3-7643-6086-0
(Basel), ISBN0-8176-6086-0(Boston). Price: CHF 168.DEM 198,ATS 1446(hard-
cover).
This booktreats recent shifts invegetation boundariesintheactualandpotential
distributionareaofLaurisilvaeasaresultofglobal warming. Itcoversthesubject for
theInsubrianAlps, Colchis(Georgie), Hungary, Ireland,China, Japan,EasternNorth
America, Brazil, and Chili. Nearly all the contributionsdeal with aprocess called
'laurophyllisation': The spontaneousspreading and expanding ofevergreenbroad-
leaved (laurophyllus) species into areas where up to then deciduousforest was the
prevailing orclimaxvegetation.Thisprocess canbepartly relatedto globalwarming,
buthumaninfluences(disturbance, changes inlanduse, forestmanagementandoccur-
renceoffire)arealsoofimportance. Inareaswithnoindigenous laurophyllous species,
newnichesare created,whichmayleadtotheescapeandexpansion ofexoticornamen-
tal species from parks and gardens. Thismay formathreat totheoriginal floraand
vegetation.Laurophyllisation isdemonstratedwithalargeamountofvegetation releves
and descriptions, withclimaticdataandalsopalynological research.
A.J.J. Lemaire
W. LACK & D.J. MABBERLEY: The Flora Graeca story. Sibthorp, Bauer, and
Hawkins inthe Levant. Oxford University Press, Oxford, NewYork, Tokyo, 1999.
xxxvi +327pp., illus.ISBN0-19-854897-4.Price: GBP250.
Thisis thestoryoftwo youngEnglish gentlemen, JohnSibthorp andJohnHawkins,
amateur scientists, whobecause ofwealthy parents andimmenseinheritances could
permitthemselvestomakethethencustomaryGrandTourtotheContinent.Contrary
totheusualTourthey decidedtoincludethethen barely visitedOttomanEmpire and
foraltogether aboutsix andahalfyears visitedmoreor lessremote placesinGreece,
western Turkey, andCrete.Sibthorp was thebotanistandHawkins thegeologist and
antiquarian. Hawkins' collectionswere never worked up, as hewent into managing
his estates, and most have disappeared over time, while Sibthorp diedof diseases
contractedafterhaving returnedto themothercountry. However, thelatterleftawill
stipulating thathisbotanicalcollectionsshouldbepublished inagrandiose project, a
FloraGraecain 10volumeswithahundredcolouredprintseach,afterwhich(!)Oxford
wouldgetaprofessorship paid forby theestate. Becauseofthelatterstipulation the
famous,equally rich JamesE.Smith, bestknown forhis acquisition oftheLinnean
collectionsandlibrary, andfounderandlife-long Presidentofthe LinneanSociety,
London,spent 29 years ofhis lifethat could have been usedforbetter purposes to
achievethis.Hefoundthecollectionstobeingreatdisarrayandwithoutany indication
ofprovenance, date,or notes,andhad to goby thescanty data in Sibthorp's diaries
andletters, andhis instincts tomakesome sense ofthem.Afterhis death(1828) the
work was continued, veryreluctantly, by RobertBrown and,more energetically, by
JohnLindley.
The combinedefforts ofBauer, Sowerby, and Smith produced one of the most
sumptuous,andrare, floraseverpublished: 10volumeswith 30copiesover24 years
oflabour.Toprepare a complete set cost GBP620, butthesubscription was 'only'
Reviews 251
GBP 254,thedifferencepaid fromtheSibthorp estates.Forty copies werereprinted
in 1847for GBP63.All were inprivate hands and itis to be wonderedwhetherthe
publication was actually 'effective'inthesenseoftheCode,Art. 29.1: 'accessibleto
botanists generally'.
Themostmonumentalpartweretheplatesprepared by FerdinandBauer,the'most
perfect plant illustratorofall times', andtheonly realprofessional oftheentourage,
buttreated as a mere servant by Sibthorp. Theplates wereexecuted by thefamous
engraver James Sowerby andhis collaborators,whotook careofthe966 plates, i.e.
28,980illustrations, eachindividually colouredbyhand!Theresultwas superbindeed.
Biographies ofBauer,Hawkins, and Sibthorp, andofmanypersons they meton
thejourneyorwhowereinvolvedintheFloraGraecaaregiven insometimesexhaustive
detail.More thanhalfthebookis dedicatedto the description ofthe tours, ingreat
particulars,extensively citing fromthediaries. Travellingwasmostuncomfortablein
those times, fraughtwith dismallodgings (ifany), corruptofficials, diseases, danger
ofshipwrecks, pirates, earthquakes, etc.It's abitlikereading Xenophon, though, but
perhaps forthose interestedinthecomments by these refinedEnglishmen on these
foreign countrieswiththeremarkable,strangehabitsandcustomsofthecuriousinhab-
itants, human,botanicalor zoological of200 years agoitmakesenthralling reading.
Theprice is entirely inline withitssubject, and, again, Bauer'splates arethebest
partofit.
J.F.Veldkamp
A.E. ORCHARD & H.S. THOMPSON (eds.): Flora ofAustralia.Volume 1. Intro-
duction.2nd Edition.AustralianBiological Resources Study, CSIRO Publishing,
1999.692 pp., (colour) illus. ISBN0-643-05965-2.Price: USD79.95 (hard back).
K.R. THIELE &L.G.ADAMS(eds.): FamiliesofFlowering PlantsofAustraliaCD-
ROM:An Interactive IdentificationGuide. CSIRO Publishing, 1999.CD-ROM,
colourillus. ISBN0-643-06452-4.Price: USD69.95.
The firstpublication containsthelong awaited secondeditionoftheintroduction
totheFloraofAustralia.Fifteenchapters infive sections dealwith allaspects ofthe
Australianfloraandthe FloraProject.
Section 1: Bibliography and classification, deals with the history ofsystematic
botanyinAustralia(A.E.Orchard), theFloraProject(A.S. George), theclassification
andphylogeny of Australianplants (A. Kanis, M.D.Crisp & A.E.Orchard). Italso
includes anannotatedbibliography (A.E. Orchard & A.S. George). Section2: The
environment, discusses Australiaas an environmentfor plants (L.A. Frakes) and
present-day influencesonthisenvironment(M.D. Fox). Section 3:TheFlora, deals
with the fossil evidenceforevolution(R.S. Hill, E.M. Truswell, S. McLoughlin &
M.E.Dellman),thebiogeography ofAustralianlandplants (M.D. Crisp)andtheaquatic
flora [Wetlands and waterplants (S.W.L. Jacobs), Mangroves (P. Bridgewater), Sea
plants (D.I.Walker)]. Section4:Management, dealswithuses (A.E.Orchard& A.J.G.
Wilson), images (H.J. Hewson) and conservation (I.D. Cresswell). Section 5: Key
and Glossary,gives a classicalkey tothefamiliesofflowering plants (A.E.Orchard)
and a glossary (A. McCusk). Alistofabbreviations and contractions and anindex
concludes thevolume.
252 BLUMEA Vol. 45, No. 1,2000
Thebookis wellwrittenandbeautifully illustrated.This very informativevolume
shouldfinditsway to thedesksofallpeople interestedin thefloraofAustralia.The
editorsandauthors are congratulated withthiswell executedbook.
Inparallel tothis newintroductory volumeaCD-ROM withaninteractivekey to
thefamiliesofflowering plants oftheAustralian flora is published. TheCD-ROM
uses theLUCID-program. As farascan be seenfromafewteststheidentificationis
easy andleadstocorrect family names.
FRITS ADEMA
A.E. ORCHARD, H.S.THOMPSON, RM. MCCARTHY(eds.) & A. WILSON(vol. ed.):
Flora ofAustralia, Volume 17B, Proteaceae 3, Hakea to Dryandra. Australian
Biological Resources Study & CSIRO Publishing, Canberra, 1999.xviii+416 pp.,
illus.ISBN0-643-6455-9(softcover). Price: USD89.95.
TheProteaceaeare alarge,important, typical Australianfamily. Thisnew volume
oftheFloraofAustralia,thethirdone discussing theProteaceae,dealswithHakeaof
thetribe Grevilleaeandallgeneraofthe tribeBanksieae.Intotal 5 generaand 322
species aretreated.Thevolumeincludesseveralinformativechapters onvariousaspects
ofHakea, includingbiogeography andcladistics, tobringtheknowledge ofthatgenus
onthesamelevel as thatofGrevilleaandBanksia.
The volumeis produced along the fine standards ofthe Flora of Australiaand
beautifully illustratedwithblack andwhitedrawings, distributionmapsandscores of
superb colourphotographs. Averyusefuladditiontoourknowledge oftheProteaceae.
A must forall withinterestinthisfamily andinthefloraofAustralia.
Frits Adema