The "Phytochemical Dictionary of the Leguminosae" is the first of a new type of reference source giving phytochemical records for all legumes (plants in the Pea family - Leguminosae or Fabaceae). The precise chemical substances found, the organs in which they occur (eg the leaf or the seed) and the bibliographic citation are given for each plant species recorded. These are accompanied by extensive supporting botanical, chemical, geographical and bibliographic information for each plant and substance. Over 4,000 chemical substances occurring in 2,000 plant species are contained within 20,000 entries. The Leguminosae is one of the world's most economically important groups of plants, including peas, beans, soya and chickpeas, and provides the world's major source of nitrogen fixed from the atmosphere. As this book contains detailed, comprehensive and up-to-date phytochemical data on this family, available for the first time in a single source, it will prove invaluable to all those working in the food, pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries, as well as in botanical, natural product and taxonomic research. This new work has been compiled as a joint project by two specialist organisations, the International Legume Database & Information Service (ILDIS) and the Chapman & Hall Chemical Database (CHCD). Coverage includes both wild and cultivated species from all over the world. The primary literature used is current to mid-1992. The book is divided into two volumes, the first containing the Plant Section and the second the Chemical Section. The two are linked by extensive cross-referencing and each section has its own indexes. Volume 1 of the dictionary is unique in that it lists not only all legume species from which chemical substances are reported, but also lists under each species what the substances are and in which organs they occur. The substances are grouped together under types of compounds and the original sources are cited. This part is organized alphabetically by genus and species name, followed by a Plant Name Index and Plant Constituent Index. This part of the dictionary may be used in two ways. By selecting a plant species of interest, the reader will see the precise listing of substances reported and the organs in which they occur. Alternatively, by using the Plant Constituent Index, the reader should find a full listing of all legume species from which a particular substance is reported, and from which the main entries for these plant species can be located. Each species entry is annotated with the plant's geographical distribution, its taxonomic details (common name, synonyms used in the phytochemical literature, etc.), botanical data on, for example, life form and economic uses, and reference citations. The problems of nomenclature and synonymy have been overcome for both plant names and substance names. Plant names and classification have been verified using the ILDIS plant taxonomic database: records for the same species originally published under different names are united in the dictionary. Similarly, substance names and classes have been verified using the Chapman & Hall Chemical Database: records for the same substance under different names in the literature are likewise united in the dictionary. Volume 2 is a Chemical Dictionary giving key chemical data on all substances occurring in the Leguminosae, matching those reported in Part 1. This part is taken from the Chapman & Hall Chemical Database and its layout and format is uniform with the renowned Dictionary of Organic Compounds. Each substance has (where appropriate): alternative names, structure diagram, Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Number, molecular formula and weight and Type of Compound. These substances are indexed by Chemical Name, Molecular Formula and CAS Registry Number to allow rapid location of the information required.
