The Timber Press Dictionary of Plant Names
First published in 1927, the Zander Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen was built on the work of Robert Zander (1892–1969), with revisions over the years. The Timber Press volume is based on the eighteenth edition (2008), revised for English speakers. There are many dictionaries of plants and plant names, each with a particular approach and purpose. This dictionary has unique characteristics and utility.   While reminding users that there may be no absolute right or wrong in classifying and naming plants, the dictionary follows the guidelines of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. The extensive coding system, which enables a vast amount of information for each entry, is described in the introductory section along with history of the original publication, information about botanical nomenclature, pronunciation guides, and a summary of plant systematics.   The bulk of the volume is the “Alphabetical Overview of Genera and Species.” Users will want to refer to the “Key to Alphabetical Overview” as they use the dictionary. Entries for each genus may have up to 22 fields, among them family, winter hardiness zone, flowering time, and distribution. Many of the fields use abbreviations along with symbols for type of plant, medicinal properties, toxicity, endangered-species status, and more, all within a very compact space. Among the special features are fields for the English, French, and German genus and common names, if they exist. In addition, there are three chapters listing English vernacular or common names, French plant names, and German plant names. Another chapter contains brief information about plant-name authors, whose names are abbreviated in the entries. The extensive bibliography will guide users to both general and highly specialized information sources. The volume ends with three maps referring to the geographic distribution codes in the key. Recommended for botany and gardening collections. --Linda Scarth