Product Details

Etlingera of Borneo

Borneo is one of the most exciting places to study the richness of plant life on Earth and home to more than 300 ginger species. Etlingera is among the most diverse and attractive of the genera found there; several species are used as food, spice, medicine, ornamentals or for other purposes and it therefore becomes crucial to be able to identify them.

The present revision treats 42 taxa, including 16 new species, one new subspecies, one new variety, and one new combination. This more than doubles the number of species since modern careful revision was begun by Rosemary M. Smith 20 years ago.

The first chapters of the book give an introduction to the genus including its taxonomic history, morphology, ecology, uses, and conservation. Local names and uses by the peoples of Borneo emphasize the great potential that the genus Etlingera offers for the future.

A key is provided to the identification of the species; most are described in detail and illustrated by beautiful colour photographs and line drawings. The first descriptions and illustrations of the fruits of several species are also provided and show the importance of fruit characters for identification. The meanings of the scientific plant names are explained, the conservation status of each species is assessed, notes are added on ecology, uses and history, and a distribution map is given.

The book will be of interest to botanists, horticulturists and ethnobotanists.

Author(s): Axel Dalberg Poulsen

Dr Axel Poulsen is a tropical forest botanist with more than 15 years of experience, especially in Borneo. He has worked in Asia, Africa and South America, and has been associated with universities and botanic gardens in Denmark, Malaysia, The Netherlands and Scotland, as lecturer or researcher. His first field work collecting Etlingera gingers was in Brunei in 1991 during an expedition sponsored by The Royal Geographic Society, London and the Universiti Brunei Darussalam. While visiting the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 1991 to identify this material, Rosemary M. Smith, who had revised Etlingera in 1986, encouraged him to do more work on the genus, the result of which is represented in this beautiful book. Dr Poulsen is also the author of A Pocket Guide: Gingers of Sarawak.


Publisher: Natural History Publications (Borneo) in association with Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

First Published: 5 July 2006

No. of Pages: x + 263 pp.

Size: 18.5 x 25.5 cm (Hardcover)

ISBN: 983-812-117-7

Cover: HB

Price: US $62.00

Weight: 1200g

Quantity:



Book Reviews:

Blumea (2006) 51(3) 601–602.

 

Reviews

axeL daLBerG PouLsen: Etlingera of Borneo. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 2006. 263 pp., colour photographs, pen and ink drawings. ISBN 983-812-117-7. Price: RM 180 or USD 49 (without postage).

Axel Poulsen is one of the foremost experts on Zingiberaceae. Etlingera is one of his specialisms. He has assembled his great knowledge of this genus for the Island of Borneo in a magnificent book, gorgeously illustrated by a great number of colour photographs.

After a brief introduction, Chapter 2 describes the plant, several of the important characters, and special terminology. Illustrations include drawings of flower parts, indicating the way they are measured, SEM-micrographs of hairs, pollen grains and stigmas. This is followed by a chapter on Etlingera in Borneo, including a map of all collections, notes on ecology with pictures of one of the pollinators, speciation, ethnobotany and conservation status. The introductory chapters are concluded by Chapter 4 Materials and Methods. This chapter is followed by a key to the species which starts off the main part of the book: The Species. In this part 42 taxa are described and illustrated. Several of the species are new to science and here described for the first time. The older species are provided with names, synonyms and literature. All species treatments include a comprehensive, precise description, notes on local names, uses, ecology, distribution, conservation status, and a list of specimens studied. Each species is illustrated by several very good colour photographs, pen and ink drawings and a map.

Etlingera of Borneo is an impressive book that should attract all ginger lovers and other botanists. Well meant congratulations to the author.

 

 

Frits Adema