Elsevier's dictionary of trees and shrubs

In scientific and commercial usage, a plant is designated by its Latin name. That is the simplest and most logical method and the only one precluding misunderstandings among professionals from all parts of the world. The layman, however, knows the plants mainly by their common designations and these vary from region to region and from country to country. One of the objectives of this work is therefore to simplify the correlation between the popular and the scientific names. The reader can find, quickly and conveniently, the Latin name of each tree or shrub. A unique feature of this book is that for each genus and species the author has mentioned its family, country of origin and some botanical characteristics. This multilingual dictionary comprises approximately 2,300 Latin names subdivided into 140 families, 510 genera, 1,650 species and varieties, together with their common denominations in English, French, German and Italian. The vast majority of the trees and shrubs mentioned are to be found in the temperate zones of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Only a small number of trees typical of subtropical climates have been included. Being both a working tool and a reference book, this dictionary is intended not only for the professional but also for the layman wishing to extend his knowledge of the common names of the innumerable trees and shrubs growing on our planet.