BiblioVault - Books about Ghazanfar, Shahina A.

An Ancient Mesopotamian Herbal

Barbara Boeck, Shahina Ghazanfar, and Mark Nesbitt

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2024

A groundbreaking reassessment of existing research and new data on traditional botanical medicine.

Traditional medical systems continue to impact the lives of people around the globe. These systems vary greatly in their underlying beliefs, but all commonly rely on the consumption of plant matter as a central practice. An Ancient Mesopotamian Herbal is a new, fully illustrated book that explores the uses of plants in traditional medicine and how these botanical roots extend to modern, “conventional” medicinal treatments.

Divided into two parts, An Ancient Mesopotamian Herbal introduces the lands and ancient cultures of Mesopotamia before surveying the different forms of evidence and research methods informing this academic book. The book then looks to the modern day, focusing on thirty case studies of plant-based drugs. Bridging the divide between the humanities and sciences and using new research and data from modern-day Iraq and surrounding areas, An Ancient Mesopotamian Herbal draws on the expertise of archeo-botanists, scientists, and Assyriologists specializing in historic Mesopotamian medicine to provide new identifications of Assyrian and Babylonian herbal medicines while giving a concise overview of ancient Mesopotamian herbal lore.

[more]

Flora of Iraq Volume 6

Compositae

Edited by Shahina A. Ghazanfar, John R. Edmondson, D. J. Nicholas Hind

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2019

The Flora of Iraq is the only flora for this region in the Middle East. It enables anyone documenting, studying, or managing Iraq’s vast and rich flora to identify the vascular cryptograms and flowering plants. In addition to the detailed taxonomic information, a large amount of supplementary data of general biological interest and economic interest is provided, as well as notes on vernacular names. Nearing completion, it fills a major gap in the floral knowledge of Iraq. Volume 6 covers the Compositae in its entirety.

[more]

Flora of Iraq Volume Five Part One

Elatinaceae to Sphenocleaceae

Edited by Shahina A. Ghazanfar

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2015

The Flora of Iraq is the only botanical guide for this region in the Middle East. It enables anyone documenting, studying, or managing Iraq’s vast and rich flora to identify the area’s vascular cryptogams (plants that do not make seeds) as well as its flowering plants. In addition to detailed taxonomic information, a large amount of supplementary data of general biological and economic interest is provided, as well as notes on vernacular names. Rounding out a series decades in the making, it is a vital contribution to our floral knowledge of Iraq.

[more]

Flora of Iraq, Volume Five, Part Two

Lythraceae to Campanulaceae

Edited by Shahina A. Ghazanfar and John R. Edmondson

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2014

The Flora of Iraq is the only comprehensive reference for this region in the Middle East. It enables anyone documenting, studying, or managing Iraq’s vast and rich flora to identify the vascular cryptograms and flowering plants. In addition to detailed taxonomic information, it includes general biological and economic data, as well as notes on vernacular names. As this collection nears completion, it fills a major gap in the floral knowledge of Iraq.

Plant families included in Volume 5, Part 2 are Lythraceae, Onagraceae, Haloragaceae, Gentianaceae, Menyanthaceae, Primulaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Plantaginaceae, Crassulaceae, Saxifragaceae, Vahliaceae, Umbelliferae, Valerianaceae, Dipsaceae, and Campanulaceae.

[more]