PALM S Dransfield: Palm Literature Vol. 58(2) 2014

SPELLMAN , D.L., J.D. D WYER AND G. D AVIDSE . STANDLEY , P.C. AND S.J. R ECORD . 1936. Forest and 1975. A list of the Monocotyledonae of Flora of British Honduras. Field Museum of Belize – including a historical introduction Natural History, Botany Series 12, 432 p. to collecting in Belize. Rhodora 77: STEVENS , W.D., C. U LLOA , A. P OOL AND O.M. 105–140 MONTIEL (ed.). 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. STANDLEY , P.C . 1930. Flora of Yucatan. Field Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Museum of Natural History, Botany Series 3: Missouri Botanical Garden 85: 192–229. 157–492.

STANDLEY , P.C. AND J.A. S TEYERMARK . 1958. Flora of Guatemala. Fieldiana, Botany 24: 196–299.

PALM LITERATURE

SYSTEMATICS, Each species is represented by a double page ECOLOGY AND MAN- spread with text on the left hand side – local AGEMENT OF RAT- names, brief descriptions, distribution and TANS IN CAMBODIA, habitat, flowering and fruiting behavior and AND . uses, and facing it on the right hand page a THE BIOLOGICAL map and three diagnostic photos, usually BASES OF SUS- illustrating sheathed stem, leaf and some part TAINABLE USE – of reproductive material. Chapter III discusses Charles M. Peters and rattan ecology, presenting data on the density, Andrew Henderson size-class distribution and annual growth of with contributions selected species and conservation assessments. from Nguyen Quoc Chapter IV provides data collection protocols Dong and Thibault and analyses required to define a sustainable Ledecq. WWF/IKEA/NYBG. 2014. Pp. 234, harvest of wild rattan, together with a numerous maps and color photographs discussion of impact monitoring and periodic throughout. Agricultural Publishing House. harvest adjustments. Chapter V examines the “Not for sale” – available as a free digital future of the rattan trade in the region. The download at http://wwf.panda.org/who_ authors boldly claim that the book is unique we_are/wwf_offices/laos/newsrom/?216070 in addressing all these aspects of rattan in a /wwf-launches-first-ever-book-on-mekong- single volume. rattan-species The press release for the book cited above (and This attractive book, available in English, the source of a free digital download) makes Khmer, Vietnamese and Lao language versions, a bold statement – “the first ever book on aims to help both naturalists and those in the Mekong rattan species” – that invites closer rattan industry to identify rattan species, while scrutiny. First ever? Surely not! The book is providing guidance in maximizing yields and pre-empted by Evans et al. (2001) Field Guide achieving sustainable production of rattan to the Rattans of Lao PDR published in English resources. It is really useful to have so much and Lao. Although the Lao book’s title suggests information on Indochinese rattans available it covers just the Lao PDR, it covers the entire in a single volume. The book is divided into area of Lao PDR, Vietnam and Cambodia and five chapters. Chapter I provides a brief neighboring parts of and and description of the region and major biophysical includes accounts of 51 species. Where the factors that control rattan distribution and earlier book differs is that it lacks the species abundance, and also a brief outline of rattan that Henderson and his co-workers have trade. Chapter II, the botanical foundation of described from the region since 2001 and also the work, is a field guide to the rattans of lacks the material on ecology, data collection Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and includes a protocols and trade and harvest. At one point dichotomous key to 65 different rattan species. continued on p. 86

76 PALMS 58(2): 76, 86 PALM S Dransfield: Palm Literature Vol. 58(2) 2014 continued from p. 76 and cane lengths from various forest areas within the region. The results, not surprisingly, in the Peters and Henderson book, Evans et al. clearly show the scarcity of harvestable cane 2001 is acknowledged along with a more of the elite species. A table in Chapter III geographically restricted guide for Cambodia summarizes extent of occurrence data from (Khou Eang Hourt 2008 – mentioned in text which IUCN conservation criteria can be but missing from Literature Cited). However, derived. Astonishingly these criteria (Critically no mention is made of the substantial careful Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable etc.) are systematic monograph of Indochinese rattans not clearly indicated. It would have been so published by Evans et al. (2002) that is easy to add these assessments to each species fundamental to understanding the taxonomy in Chapter II. The development of protocols of rattans in this region. for rattan inventories, refined from the The bulk of the book, in fact pages 19–168, is experiences of previous workers and his own taken up by the field guide (Field guide? At 24 extensive experience presented by Charles × 16.5 cm, this may not be the most con- Peters in Chapter IV should be immensely venient size for the field and gloss paper useful to future workers needing to make throughout invites problems with dampness). assessments of the standing crop of rattan and There is an all too brief glossary with important potential yields. terms missing (no mention of ruminate and One aspect of rattans almost completely homogeneous, which pops up almost missing from this book is rattan cultivation; immediately in couplet 2 in the key, for brief mention is made under six of the 65 example). The key would have benefitted from species accounts that they are planted, but that clearer formatting. I regret the fact that species is all. It seems strange that a book aimed at the are arranged alphabetically – easy to find your sustainable management of rattan does not way around if you are already familiar with discuss cultivation in any more detail. The the species, but not if you are trying to identify large scale intensive cultivation of species you are not certain of and where closely tenuis and other species for palm hearts is related species are scattered through the 149 unique to the Mekong area and northeastern pages. Perhaps this could have been offset if Thailand and deserves detailed mention along related species were discussed in the text under with attempts to grow Calamus tetradactylus each species – but they are not. This is most and other species on a plantation scale. unfortunate, especially when there is almost always plenty of blank space at the end of each Anyone working with rattan in the species. This is the great strength of the Evans Indochinese region will need this book, but I et al. field guide where related species, most suggest that for rattan identification they will similar species or species that could be also continue to find the earlier field guide by confused with the species under question are Evans et al. invaluable for its clever design and always indicated and quick notes provided on ease of use. how they differ. In the end, I suspect that most JOHN DRANSFIELD users of the new book will try to identify Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK species by thumbing through the photos. The color photographs are indeed supremely useful and should allow easy comparison between EVANS , T.D., K. S ENGDALA , O.V. V IENGKHAM AND species. I have to applaud the collection of B. T HAMMAVONG . 2001. A Field Guide to the high quality photographs, the vast majority Rattans of Lao PDR. Royal Botanic Gardens, taken of living specimens and representing no Kew. mean feat. The maps are impressive, but with EVANS , T.D., K. S ENGDALA . B. T HAMMAVONG , O.V. color background and orange-red dots they VIENGKHAM AND J. D RANSFIELD . 2002. A will be largely unreadable by anyone with synopsis of the rattans (: red/green color blindness. There is much to ) of Laos and neighbouring be said for simple gray scale or black and white parts of Indochina. Kew Bulletin 57: 1–84. maps with black dots. KHOU EANG HOURT . 2008. A Field Guide of the Chapter III includes much of real interest, in Rattans of Cambodia. WWF Greater Mekong particular the results of inventories of rattans Cambodia Country Programme.

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