Flowering Plants in West Africa

A study of the flowering plant flora of West Africa south of the Sahara with the emphasis upon species of ecological or economic importance.

Margaret Steentoft (Author)

9780521261920, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 9 June 1988

356 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 3.2 cm, 0.695 kg

This volume is an account of the flowering plant flora of West Africa south of the Sahara (Gambia-Nigeria inclusive) with the emphasis upon species of ecological or economic importance. The vegetative and reproductive morphological characters, pollination and dispersal mechanisms of representatives of 38 families are described, and these families appear in the same order as in the Flora of West Tropical Africa. The first chapter deals with interspecific relationships (between flowering plant species, and between these and bacteria, fungi and animals), while the second chapter describes the vegetation formed by the flowering plant species of West Africa. Then follow the family chapters, each one ending with a section on the field recognition of its most important species, and a bibliography of the literature, so that further studies may be pursued. This flora should prove to be of value to teachers and students of tropical biology, agriculture, forestry and economic botany.

Introduction
List of symbols and abbreviations
1. Species associations
2. Vegetation in West Africa
3. Annonaceae - soursop family
4. Amaranthaceae - amaranth family
5. Cucurbitaceae - gourd family
6. Ochnaceae - ironwood family
7. Combretaceae - afara family
8. Guttiferae (clusiaceae) - butter tree family
9. Sterculiaceae - cocoa family
10. Bombacaceae - silk cotton family
11. Malvaceae - cotton family
12. Euphorbiaceae - cassava family
13. Caesalpiniaceae - pride of Barbados family
14. Mimosaceae - Acacia family
15. Papilionaceae - cowpea family
16. Ulmaceae - afefe family
17. Moraceae - mulberry family
18. Meliaceae - mahogany family
19. Sapindaceae - akee apple family
20. Anacardiaceae - cashew nut family
21. Sapotaceae - sheabutternut family
22. Apocynaceae - frangipani family
23. Asclepiadaceae - blood flower or milkweed family
24. Rubiaceae - abura family
25. Compositae (Asteraceae) - Tridax family
26. Solanaceae - tomato family
27. Convolvulaceae - sweet potato family
28. Bignoniaceae - jacaranda family
29. Acanthaceae - Thunbergia family
30. Verbenaceae - teak family
31. Labiatae (Lamiaceae) - Hausa potato family
32. Commelinaceae - day flower family
33. Zingiberaceae - ginger family
34. Marantaceae - (West Indian) arrowroot family
35. Liliaceae - lily family
36. Araceae - cocoyam family
37. Palmae (Arecaceae) - palm family
38. Orchidaceae - orchid family
39. Cyperaceae - sedge family
40. Gramineae (Poaceae) - grass family
General bibliography
Index of family, generic and common names.

Subject Areas: Botany & plant sciences [PST]