Succulents

The Illustrated Dictionary | A time-tested reference, this first volume includes some of the best-known and most cultivated genera such as Agave, Haworthia, Kalanchoe, and Yucca.

Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
This illustrated dictionary of succulents, excluding cacti, covers species from 35 plant families and 195 genera worldwide in distribution. Alphabetically arranged species entries include a brief description and place of origin. This work by Sajeva (Univ. of Palermo, Italy) and Constanzo, both active members in the Italian Cactus and Succulent Society, is unique in its use of 1200 high-quality color 31/8" x 21/8" photographs arranged six to a page to accompany each entry. Although up-to-date and better illustrated than other botanical dictionaries that include succulents, this specialized work is for libraries with comprehensive botanical and horticultural collections.
Teresa Elberson, Lafayette P.L., La.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Succulents are plants that are able to withstand drought because of their ability to store water. This book is essentially a catalog illustrating varieties from 195 genera. Designed as an identification tool, it should fill the needs of growers and collectors.

The core of the work is the "Illustrated A-Z of Species," which consists of 1,200 sharp, close-up color photographs. Six two-by-three-inch photos per page enable accurate identification and easy searching. The photo captions include descriptions of growth and flowering habits, size, place of origin, alternate name, and CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) status.

A brief overview of succulent families and genera opens the work. Appendixes include a bibliography, CITES codes, and the code of conduct for the International Organization for Succulent Plants Study. The checklist of alternate plant names does not include popular names. The elephant foot palm/ponytail palm will need to be located by browsing the photos, as will jade trees and living rocks. Also not included are lists of societies, journals, or suppliers. Succulents is descriptive only; it does not provide growing information. As an identification tool, it is superb. For collectors who have encountered dealer's lists that consist primarily of species and varietal names, this catalog will be invaluable in making selections. The collector can leaf through, for example, lithops (16 species), aloe (25 species), or crassula (14 species).

There is no comparable work. The Wonderful World of Succulents by Werner Rauh (Smithsonian, 1984, o.p.) describes many species, but most are not pictured. Gordon Rowley's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Succulents (Crown, 1978, o.p) has fine photographs but does not approach this illustrated dictionary in scope.

Succulents are a widely collected, diverse group of plants. The appearance of this work will be welcomed by houseplant gardeners and succulent specialists.

Midwest Book Review
Succulents are one of the largest plant groups in the world; yet too often they are lumped together with cacti and general houseplants. This represents the first single work to detail a range of genera. Over 1,000 color photos accompany descriptions of almost 200 genera. As an identification key, this proves particularly useful.

Author: Maurizio Sajeva, Mariangela Costanzo,
Publisher: Timber Press, Incorporated 1997-01-01