BRONX, N.Y. -- No other group of woody plants of equivalent size has been studied so intensively as the genus Pinus. Even so, The New York Botanical Garden's latest publication, PINUS (PINACEAE), by Aljos Farjon and Brian T. Styles, is the first critical revision of the pines of Latin America since Shaw (1909).
Many people tend to think of pines as a genus largely distributed in forests of the temperate region. They are unaware of the importance of tropical pines. This monograph, Volume 75 in the Flora Neotropica series, examines pines native to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Of the 47 species recognized, most are endemic to this region, but a number extend into Mexico from the United States, while P. elliottii var. densa is included because it occurs on the Florida Keys in the Caribbean.
Dr. Brian T. Styles began his work on the neotropical pines in 1970. Unfortunately, he was not to see the completion of this project during his lifetime because of his untimely death in 1993, at the age of 58. Thankfully, a second specialist both existed and was free to devote time to the completion of this project. Aljos Farjon stepped into the breach and pulled together the many loose ends to produce this fine monograph. The introduction covers all aspects of pines that are of interest to both taxonomists and more general readers, and includes specialist contributions on wood anatomy, pollen morphology, and taxonomy based on monoterpenes.
Because the scientific study of plants is not complete until the results are published, the Scientific Publications Department of The New York Botanical Garden was established in 1896 for the purpose of disseminating the Garden's research results and information to the scientific community and the general public. It is presently the largest publishing program of any independent botanical garden in the world. Current catalog offerings include four scholarly journals, five monographs, and more than 30 books.
PINUS (PINACEAE), by Aljos Farjon and Brian T. Styles, ISBN 0-89327-411-9, 1997 (Hardcover), 286 pages, 40 maps, 67 illustrations, $31.00 (plus postage and handling fee). Order No. FLN75. To order, call (718) 817-8721, fax (718) 817-8842, or e-mail scipubs@nybg.org.