Urs Eggli - Böcker

The succulent species of the families of subclass Rosidae are presented by alphabet of families, genera, and species, with comprehensive listings of synonyms added at all levels.

The Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names explains the meanings of the scientific names given to all known succulent plants, including cacti. With the derivation of the currently accepted names of over 10,000 taxa, the dictionary is a useful supplement to the "Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants". It is a valuable reference for plant scientists, horticulturists, and hobbyists with an interest in succulent plants.

The Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants represents the first comprehensive taxonomic treatment of succulents in thirty years. It covers over 9000 taxa of all succulents except Cactaceae. The Crassulaceae (stonecrop family) volume presents the first complete treatment of the family for many decades. The family is a very diverse group, and plants range from tiny insignificant annual herbs to perennial shrubs and trees. Many of the species have attractive flowers. The entire family consists of 33 genera and 23 hybrid genera with a total of 1410 species and 305 infraspecific taxa. The largest genus is Sedum (stonecrop, wallpepper) with 428 species. Other large genera are Aeonium (36), Crassula (195), Dudleya (47), Echeveria (139), Kalanchoe (144), Rhodiola (58), Sempervivum (63), and Tylecodon (46). A key to all genera is included. The descriptions of all accepted taxa are supplemented with typification and distribution data, full synonymy, literature references and 341 colour photos.

The history of the project that eventually led to the publication of the present handbook series was outlined in the preface to the Monocotyledons volume, published in the summer of 2001. A short summary of its history will therefore be sufficient: Handbooks devoted to succulent plants (including cacti) have a long-standing tradition. First treatments covering the family Cactaceae were already published in the 19th century, but the first handbook dealing with the so-called 'other succulents', authored by Hermann Jacobsen, was only published in 1954 - 1955, then called "Handbuch der sukkulenten Pflanzen". A revised and - larged English edition was published 1959 and was repeatedly reprinted subsequently. The success of this first handbook led to the publication of the more compact "Sukkulentenle- kon", again authored by Hermann Jacobsen, published 1970 in a German edition and 1975 in an English translation. Subsequent to Hermann Jacobsen's death in August 1978, Klaus Hesselbarth edited the revised German edition, published 1981.First ideas leading to the present "Illustrated Handbook" were developed prior to the 19- congress of the International Organization for Succulent Plant Study (IOS) in Zurich. Gustav Fischer Verlag Jena, publisher not only of Hermann Jacobsen's "Sukkulentenlexikon", but also of the equally reknowned "Kakteenlexikon" by Curt Backeberg, was interested to have new editions of these works prepared. The feeling amongst participants of an ad-hoc meeting during this congress was that the situation presented a unique occassion to produce a set of authoritative volumes embracing all succulent plants.

Names are important elements to handle the diversity of items in daily life - persons, objects, animals, plants, etc. Without such names, it would be difficult to attach information to such items and to communicate information about them, and names are usually used without giving them much thought. This is not different for plants. When dealing with plants, however, it soon becomes apparent that the situation is somewhat more complex. Botanists use Latin names to bring order into the vast diversity, while everyday usage resorts to vemacular or "popular" names. As practical as these vernacular names are (it is not suggested that you should ask your greengrocer for a kilo­ gram of Solanum tuberosum or Musa paradisiaca subsp. sapientum), their most important draw­ back is the fact that they vary widely, not only from one language to another but also from coun­ try to country, even from region to region within a large country. More importantly, vemacular names in any given language are usually only available for the plants growing locally, or for plants of some special importance, such as crops and vegetables, medicinal plants, or important garden plants. For all other plants, the Latin names used by botanists and other scientists have to be employed. Such names often appear complicated or even awkward to the ears of those not accustomed to them.

Handbooks devoted to succulent plants (including cacti) have a long-standing tradition, and the demand for updated editions is a good indication of the high degree of interest that exists in this fascinating group of plants. While first handbooks devoted to the family Cactaceae were already published in the 19th cen­ tury, the first handbook dealing with the so-called 'other' succulents was authored by Hermann Jacobsen and published in 1954 -1955, then called "Handbuch der sukkulenten Pflanzen". A re­ vised and enlarged English edition was made available in 1959 and was repeatedly reprinted in the following years. A major step towards a compact handbook including short descriptions, full synonymy and hundreds of illustrations was the publication of the first edition of Hermann Jacobsen's celebrated "Sukkulentenlexikon" in 1970, followed by the English edition in 1975, and a revised German ed­ ition in 1981, finished by Klaus Hesselbarth following Hermann Jacobsen's death in August 1978. The demand for updated compact information on succulent plants has not diminished since then, and contrary to Hermann Jacobsen's opinion (preface to the German edition 1970) that the number of papers dealing with succulent plants was on the decline, the interest in succulent plants was growing, both among hobbyists and among botanists. The results are numerous new taxa in many families, and many monographs of previously little-known groups have been published in the last 30 years. Accordingly, a need for a "New Lexicon" was beginning to be felt, both for 'other' succulents and for cacti.

The present volume covering the Crassulaceae marks the completion of the successful handbook series that presents a complete coverage of the so-called "other" succulents, i.e. of all taxa of suc­ culent plants with the exception of the Cactaceae. It is with pride that this volume is now put before the public. Together with its predecessors, it is the fruit of a truly international project. Not only does the present volume constitute the first complete synopsis of the large and horticulturally important family Crassulaceae published since the treatment by Berger (1930), but the handbook series as a whole is a landmark in succulent plant literature. The history of the project that eventually led to the publication of the present handbook series was outlined in the Preface to the Monocotyledons Volume, published in the summer of 2001. A short summary of its history will therefore suffice. Handbooks devoted to succulent plants (including cacti) have a long-standing tradition. First treatments covering the family Cactaceae were already published in the 19th century, but the first handbook dealing with the so-called "other succulents", authored by Hermann Jacobsen, was only published in 1954 - 1955, then called "Handbuch der sukkulenten Pflanzen". A revised and en­ larged English edition was published in 1959 and was repeatedly reprinted subsequently.

This second edition provides a comprehensive list of the latest taxonomy including the updated relevant plant data. All succulent species of the monocotyledonous plant families and genera are described in detail. This work will be particularly useful to botanists, plant taxonomists and scholars as well as to herbaria and botanic gardens.