This compact volume is a handy, thorough guide to the wild plants found in the small Middle Eastern nation of Oman. A short introduction provides an overview of Oman’s geography and remarkable environmental diversity, followed by catalog of more than 250 common species of plants, enhanced by color photographs designed to assist with quick identification in the field. Descriptive accounts—including details of habitat, uses, and worldwide distribution—round out the individual entries, while a glossary of botanical terms, a bibliography, and an index of scientific and vernacular names combine to make this an invaluable reference.

In 1793, the first herbarium specimens were collected and recorded in East Africa. Since then, more than 2,700 people have collected specimens in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, many of them as part of the groundbreaking work Flora of Tropical East Africa. While Flora focuses on the plants themselves, the companion volume East African Plant Collectors shines a spotlight on this diverse group of collectors who have worked to record the species of this botanically important region. Profiles include information about the collectors’ careers and interests, their publications, and the areas where their plants were located. The profiles are accompanied by an overarching timeline and historical synopsis, which shows how the profession has changed through the eras.

The proceedings of the Economic Botany and the International Society of Ethnopharmacology Conference, London, 1996, exploring the commercial and scientific potential of plants for the food, health and drug industries. It focuses on the current state of 'pharmafoods' - the coalescence of food plants in health and healing; ethnopharmacology; new drug development; biodiversity and conservation; and the value of wild plant resources.