Book dossier

Edible medicinal and non-medicinal plants

by Lim Tong Kwee

This book continues as volume 9 of a multi-compendium on Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants. It covers such plants with edible  modified storage subterranean stems (corms, rhizomes, stem tubers) and unmodified subterranean stem stolons,  above ground swollen stems and hypocotyls,  storage roots (tap root, lateral roots,  root tubers), and bulbs,  that  are eaten as conventional or functional food  as  vegetables and spices,  as herbal teas,  and may provide a source of food additive or nutraceuticals. This volume covers plant species with edible modified stems, roots and bulbs from Acanthaceae to Zygophyllaceae (tabular) and 32 selected species in Alismataceae, Amaryllidaceae, Apiaceae, Araceae, Araliaceae, Asparagaceae, Asteraceae, Basellaceae, Brassicaceae and  Campanulaceae in detail.  The edible species dealt with in this work include wild and underutilized crops and also common and widely grown ornamentals. To help in identification of the plant and edible parts about 120 colored illustrations are included.   As in the preceding  eight  volumes, topics covered include: taxonomy (botanical name and synonyms); common English and vernacular names; origin and distribution; agro-ecological requirements; edible plant parts and uses; plant botany; nutritive, medicinal and pharmacological properties with up-to-date research findings; traditional medicinal uses; other  non-edible uses; and selected/cited  references for further reading. This volume has  separate  indices for scientific and common names; and separate scientific and medical glossaries.