About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherTimber Press, Incorporated

ISBN-100881925225

ISBN-139780881925227

eBay Product ID (ePID)1973986

Product Key Features

Book TitleCycads

Number of Pages532 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication Year2002

TopicLife Sciences / Botany, Ornamental Plants

IllustratorYes

GenreScience, Gardening

AuthorLoran M. Whitelock

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height1.5 in

Item Weight70.2 Oz

Item Length11.3 in

Item Width8.9 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade

LCCN2001-035809

Dewey Edition21

ReviewsDelving into the book promises to increase a gardener's knowledge of the care and cultivation of intriguing specimens distinguished by spiky leaves and dramatic forms...An invaluable resource., What makes this a unique volume is that in addition to the primary facts there is also information about cultivation of specific species and notes about the conversation status., This is a book for gardeners, collectors, naturalists, conservationists, and scientists alike. A thoroughly comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of this prehistoric plant clan comes from the life's work of that doyen of cycad enthusiasts around the world, Loran Whitelock. His great enthusiasm and vast personal experience shine through, creating an interesting, accurate, and factual book. His synthesis of history, taxonomy, ethnobotany, and horticulture has that rare combination of easy, interesting reading yet strict adherence to fact-something of a rarity in modern publishing-and is a must-have for those wanting real, lasting knowledge., Loran Whitelock's decades of study of this tropical plant will have much to do with its future. . . . [His] research will be of value to general readers as well as botanists, landscape architects, and commercial growers., "An important resource work ... a very valuable, comprehensive, and readable contribution, which should be in every botany collection."--L. G. Kavaljian, Choice, November 2002, This is the book for which we have always been waiting. It only remains for me to thank the author for his writing and painstaking work, and for sharing his knowledge and experience with us through this book., An important resource work . . . a very valuable, comprehensive, and readable contribution, which should be in every botany collection., After studying and collecting cycads for over 40 years, Loran Whitelock should feel gratified in finally producing his book - and for the rest of us it has certainly been worth the wait. But beware. It is difficult to look through the work without being bitten by the 'cycad bug'., The ancient plant family of cycads has finally received proper treatment in [this book] . . .. It is notable for excellent photography of cycads in their native habitat as well as through review of all the known species. [This book] is valuable as a reference tool for horticulturists, botanists, and other plant enthusiasts., The author is unquestionably one of the masters in his field and has done a great service to those with serious interests in cycads by recording his experiences and offering his advice., This book is a milestone [in] the promotion of cycads to the world at large. It is a 'must have' to anyone with a serious interest in cycads; but more than that, I hope that it finds a place in all public library shelves so that The Cycads become more accessible to all., Another Timber Press instant classic! A fine book written by a nurseryman and landscape designer that presages the increased taxonomic contributions of informed 'amateurs' asso many professionals get lost or sidetracked in the cladistic forest., Mr. Whitelock's book offers most of what a professional botanist or amateur enthusiast would want in a botanical reading or a botanical reference, pus more...the book is an exceptional value., By far the most complete coverage of this group of plants . . . Because of the current interest in cycads, the availability of this book is important as a reference for both collectors and those with a more casual interest., This is wonderful book that many in the cycad world have long anticipated, and it will be enjoyed by both amateur and expert alike for many years to come., There is no other book that compares with The Cycads in quality and scope. Cycad enthusiasts have waited a long time for a book devoted to these beautiful conifers. I am happy to report that The Cycads is here, and it is well worth the wait., An up-to-date treatment of these fascinating plants . . . The Cycads is a reliable reference book, sure to be of assistance to botanists and researchers, collectors and growers, and certain to add to the ranks of those interested in cycads.

TitleLeadingThe

Dewey Decimal635.9/359

Table Of ContentPreface 7 Acknowledgments 8CHAPTER ONE Cycad Distribution Past and Present 11CHAPTER TWO Classification of the Cycads 13 Cycad Names 13CHAPTER THREE Morphology and Reproduction of Cycads 16 Stems 16 Roots 16 Leaves 16 Cones 18 Seeds 21 Cycad Variants and Hybrids 22CHAPTER FOUR Cultivation of Cycads 25 Temperature 25 Soil 26 Light 26 Water 27 Fertilizer 27 Pests and Diseases 29 Cycads in the Garden and Landscape 32CHAPTER FIVE Propagation of Cycads 35 Propagation by Seed 35 Propagation by Offsets and Cuttings 39 Propagation by Tissue Culture 40CHAPTER SIX Conservation and Protection of Cycads 42 In Situ Conservation 42 Ex Situ Conservation 43 Protection of Cycads 44CHAPTER SEVEN Cycads in Human Activities 46 Food 46 Ornament 49 Medicine 51 Other Uses 51CHAPTER EIGHT The Cycads 52 Bowenia 52 Ceratozamia 57 Chigua 77 Cycas 80 Dioon 159 Encephalartos 174 Lepidozamia 244 Macrozamia 248 Microcycas 282 Stangeria 285 Zamia 288Cycads for Particular Purposes 345 Design Characteristics 345 Horticultural Characteristics 350Glossary 355 Bibliography 357 Index 367Color plates follow pages 48 and 80

SynopsisThere are few plants that can rival cycads for variety of foliage, size, and form. Loran Whitelock has spent decades studying these diverse plants in their natural habitats around the world and in cultivation, allowing him to provide firsthand, reliable information with special emphasis on their cultivation in a variety of climates and their propagation., Few other plants, with the possible exception of palms, can rival cycads for variety of foliage, size, and form. In spite of such diversity, however, cycads represent an ancient lineage whose fossil history extends over 200 million years. Cycads are tough and durable, not only as survivors but also as ornamental plants of great intrinsic interest. Yet cycads in the wild are all endangered. Whitelock has spent decades studying cycads in their natural habitats around the world and in cultivation. Through his efforts, a well-documented program of propagation has made an increasing variety of cycads available to those who wish to grow and know more about them.

LC Classification NumberSB413.C88W46 2002