E D I N B U R G H J O U R N A L O F B O T A N Y 62 (3): 195–199 (2005) 195

© Trustees of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (2006)

BOOK REVIEWS

Legumes of the World. Edited by G. Lewis, B. Schrire, B. MacKinder & M. Lock.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2005. xiv + 577pp., colour photographs & line
drawings. ISBN 1 900 34780 6. £55.00 (hardback).
doi:10.1017/S0960428606190198

Legumes of the World is the most recent major work on the Leguminosae. In the
introduction, the editors explain that it is intended to complement the Advances
in Legume Systematics (ALS) series that has been published at Kew over the past
25 years. In particular it aims to update the first volume of ALS as a multi-authored
encyclopaedia of the world’s legumes. Indeed, it surpasses that aim and stands as the
most authoritative single work on the family to date.
The book is not intended as a field guide, being something between a desk
reference and a coffee table book. It has the handsome production values we have
come to expect of full colour hardbacks from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,
being lavishly illustrated with excellent crisp colour printing and sturdy binding.
Legumes of the World is comprehensively researched, drawing upon the latest
phylogenetic work from across the legume community, as well as the pooled
knowledge of its four editors and their twenty collaborative authors.
Fifty-two pages of introductory chapters draw together many of the recent
findings of molecular phylogenetic analyses and summarize current evolutionary
and biogeographical hypotheses for the legumes. These introductory chapters,
particularly Schrire, Lewis and Lavin’s essay on biogeography, are written in a
readily accessible style and appropriately illustrated with clear figures and tables.
The complete family supertree, spread over pp. 25–30, is an excellent reference
on relationships and gross distributions. Indeed, these introductory chapters will
undoubtedly be the quick reference source for legume evolution for the foreseeable
future.
Following the introductory chapters are accounts of individual genera that
include synonymy, species counts and distributions, etymology, life form and habitat
descriptions, and extensive references. In total the authors recognize 727 genera
encompassing 19,327 species. Generic descriptions are arranged in tribes and
each tribe is introduced with a short discussion and cladogram illustrating currently
accepted relationships among its genera.
By necessity, the book falls short of a totally comprehensive account of genera.
Technical descriptions and keys are lacking – an omission perhaps imposed by the
enormity of the task. The editors are evidently aware of this and it is their principal
disclaimer in the introduction. They explain that one alternative focus for the book
was to provide extensive illustrations – photographs, plates or line drawings – for all
genera. These illustrations are an excellent reference tool, so they serve one of the
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purposes of the book as a family overview. An index to illustrations is included to

support this role. Indexes to family and vernacular names are also included, as is
a huge reference list that is a ‘one-stop shop for all your Legume needs’.
The generous size of the images means that font size in the generic accounts suf-
fers somewhat, but this is a minor quibble. The only other image-related problem is
the lack of any key to the fruits illustrated in Rachel Pedder-Smith’s superb painting
used for the front and end papers.
Until someone writes a ‘Genera Leguminosarum’, this work will remain the first-
stop reference on the legumes. Equally accessible to legumologists and biogeogra-
phers, Legumes of the World does in depth for the legumes what Mabberley’s The
Plant-Book does across the vascular plants. However, Legumes of the World has the
added benefit of stunning images that will broaden its appeal to botanical artists and
perhaps the interested general public.
G. KE N I C E R

Poisonous Plants, 2nd edition. Dietrich Frohne & Hans Jürgen Pfänder, Department
of Pharmaceutical Biology, Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany. English
edition translated and edited by Inge Alford. London: Manson Publishing Ltd.
2005. 469pp. ISBN 1 874545 94 4. £80.00 (hardback).
doi:10.1017/S0960428606200192

Many garden flowers, decorative trees, house plants and wild plants contain
constituents that are capable of poisoning animals and people. This textbook is an
authoritative and comprehensive work covering a large number of plants that are
known to be harmful to people, or to have the potential to cause toxic effects. This
is a revision of the popular first edition, which received praise for its wide coverage,
ease of use and superb colour illustrations. The second edition has been completely
revised but has successfully managed to retain these key strengths. A wealth of new
material has been included, including more than 50% additional text, new illustra-
tions, and a special section that deals specifically with poisonous plants encountered
in North America.
The introductory section ‘Problems arising from poisoning by plants’ outlines the
scale of the problem associated with poisonous plants or plant materials. This
contains useful details of specific plant features to assist in their identification, and
makes reference to other sources of more detailed information. This is followed by
a section entitled ‘Toxicologically significant plant constituents’, which is arranged
into distinct groups of plant-derived chemicals and constituents thought capable
of causing similar clinical manifestations. For example, glycosides, tannins and
glucosinolates are considered together and, similarly, a number of different alkaloids
are presented and discussed collectively. The section is too brief to allow detailed
evaluation of the toxic features that might be expected from each of the constituents
listed here, but readers are given sufficient information to establish whether the
compound is of high, low or negligible toxicological risk in most cases.
 BOOK REVIEWS 197

‘The most important plants with alleged or actual toxic properties’ constitutes the
main section of the book, and contains around 90 different groups of plants or plant
products thought capable of causing toxic effects in animals or people. In general,
the plants and plant substances chosen have particular relevance to Europe, and are
presented in alphabetical order. The most striking feature of this section of the book
is the excellent use of a very large number of high-quality images, many of which are
in full colour. These show plants or plant parts in true life size in most cases, and are
sufficiently detailed to enable readers to discern important discriminating features.
The pages have a high-quality glossy finish, and the text is presented in a clear,
easily readable font. There is a large number of accompanying tables, figures,
molecular formulae, microscopic images and explanatory diagrams. The effective
use of lifelike images and succinct descriptions give this revised edition a rich and
colourful appeal. It is written in clear concise language, and contains an extensive
and up-to-date list of references and other sources of additional information. In
addition to the full plant name, common names and synonyms are provided.
A separate section, ‘Berry-like fruits: a tabular synopsis’, gives a helpful summary
of characters that might help to identify any one of a large number of different
poisonous berry-like fruits. The extensive table is readily navigated based on, for
example, the colour of the fruit, the nature of the pulp, and plant habit. An adjacent
section, ‘Compilation of characteristic leaf features’, comprises a beautifully
presented collection of different leaves, in high-resolution black and white photo-
micrographs. This section alone spans more than thirty pages, and presents life-
size images so that readers can compare leaves of particular plants to enable
identification.
The revised book also contains an appendix edited by Patrick McKinney and Kirk
Cumpston of the University of New Mexico Health Center, New Mexico Poison
Center, Albuquerque, USA. This section gives details of some additional plants of
particular importance in North America. As with the main text of the book, the
appendix is thoughtfully illustrated with colour images, and detailed descriptions are
given of the plants’ normal habit to assist recognition. Both common and formal
names for each of the plants shown are given.
There is a glossary of botanical terms, which is especially useful for non-specialist
readers who may be unfamiliar with some of the morphological terms used. The
comprehensive index is arranged by both scientific and common plant names.
Ingestion of plants or plant parts is responsible for a considerable proportion of
enquiries to National Poisons Information Centres, particularly those related to
children. Often, enquiries about suspected exposure to poisonous plants arise from
accidental contact, and there can be some difficulty in establishing which species
is involved. Correct identification is essential for determining the potential risk of
toxicity, which in turn influences the most appropriate clinical advice. The second
edition of Poisonous Plants is a valuable resource for Poisons Centres that will
greatly assist staff in the identification of plants or plant parts that patients might
have been exposed to. The concise descriptions and the numerous illustrations,
198 BOOK REVIEWS

including common variants, are likely to be of great help in positive identification.

A possible weakness of the book is that the clinical aspects of exposure to poisonous
plants are less thoroughly covered. In fairness, this is not the main focus of the text-
book and, in most cases, clinical advice is likely to be supplemented by information
from other sources, for example that provided by NHS Direct and NHS 24 in the
UK. One particular aspect of concern, however, is the mention of ipecacuanha in
an early section of the book, which should generally be avoided in the modern man-
agement of poisoning in adults and children. Nonetheless, the clinical information
presented under each of the individual plants gives readers some indication of the
severity of toxicity that might be anticipated, the most likely clinical features, and
the need for further medical evaluation.
In addition to its role as a resource for Poison Centre staff, the book is likely to be
of broader interest to a wide range of other professional groups too, for example
police and customs and excise officers, accident and emergency department staff,
those involved in horticulture, and veterinary practitioners. This new edition is
attractively presented, and is likely to be a valuable reference that will appeal to
a wide variety of different institutions.
W. S. WA R I N G

Early Scottish Gardeners and Their Plants, 1650–1750. Forbes W. Robertson. East
Linton, Scotland: Tuckwell Press Ltd. 2000. 292pp. ISBN 1 86232 085 3. £25.00
(hardback).
doi:10.1017/S0960428606270069

The period covered by this book is a most important one in terms of garden design
as it bridges the great changes that took place in the progression from the domi-
nance of formal, enclosed Renaissance gardens to the ‘Natural’ style epitomized
by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, Humphrey Repton and others. This aspect of
gardening history is well documented and largely focuses on the English scene. The
present book is refreshingly different. It does not concern itself with design history
but focuses on the plants that were grown during this period in Scotland, who grew
them, and the often harsh working conditions under which they were grown. It soon
becomes obvious that the subject has been very thoroughly researched from primary
sources, and there is a wealth of anecdotes. The section on vegetables, for example,
tells us of the 14th-century gardener who had his wages stopped for one year
through failure to supply sufficient onions to the royal household. Other accounts of
gardeners, ostensibly paid in kind, make entertaining reading today, but tell a pitiful
tale of desperation on the part of the employee and high-handedness on the part of
the employer. The rise and decline of certain crops as others were introduced is
fascinating; an example is the popularity of the Roecambole or Sand Leek (Allium
scorodoprasum) in the 16th and 17th centuries. Skirrets (Sium sisarum in the
Umbelliferae) are now obscure though they were frequently grown in Scotland
during the 17th century until superseded by the potato.
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The book is a valuable source of period plants for those concerned with accurate
restoration or re-creation of Scottish gardens of this period, and should be widely
consulted. A health warning is given regarding unquestioned acceptance of lists in
contemporary catalogues as they were often ‘inflated’. The description of a flower
border of 1714 includes the most popular bedding plants of the time, again valuable
for reconstruction work.
The section on fruit explains the chaotic approach to naming, sometimes resulting
in dozens of names for the same plant. A valuable source of names was supplied by
the Earl of Crawford, who toured the estates to sample and describe the fruit being
grown. The reference to the many orchards is good evidence of a greater gardening
activity in Scotland at this time than previously thought. I was fascinated to read
that Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) was used for preserves but perhaps I should
have known that!
The account of physic gardens is also very informative, and includes an account of
the beginnings of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
The writing throughout the book is scholarly and cautious but with plenty of dry
wit and humour. In addition there is a wealth of high quality colour illustrations
that makes the work a most attractive volume.
The author admirably achieves his aim of drawing attention to the importance of
Scottish gardeners and gardening in history. Although this book is of especial value
to garden historians, it is a fascinating read for all who enjoy plants and gardens and
should become a constant source of reference. It represents very good value at £25.
P. L U S B Y