The Baobabs: Pachycauls of Africa, Madagascar and Australia

The Baobabs: Pachycauls of Africa, Madagascar and Australia
Author: G.E. Wickens
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 535
Release: 2008-03-02
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1402064314

This is the only comprehensive account of all eight species in the genus Adansonia. It describes the historical background from the late Roman period to the present. It covers the extraordinary variety of economic uses of baobabs. There are also appendices on vernacular names, gazetteer, economics, nutrition and forest mensuration. This book fills a gap in the botanical literature. It deals with a genus that has fascinated and intrigued scientists and lay persons for centuries.

Lost Crops of Africa

Lost Crops of Africa
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 378
Release: 2006-10-27
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0309164540

This report is the second in a series of three evaluating underexploited African plant resources that could help broaden and secure Africa's food supply. The volume describes the characteristics of 18 little-known indigenous African vegetables (including tubers and legumes) that have potential as food- and cash-crops but are typically overlooked by scientists and policymakers and in the world at large. The book assesses the potential of each vegetable to help overcome malnutrition, boost food security, foster rural development, and create sustainable landcare in Africa. Each species is described in a separate chapter, based on information gathered from and verified by a pool of experts throughout the world. Volume I describes African grains and Volume III African fruits.

Unconventional Oilseeds and Oil Sources

Unconventional Oilseeds and Oil Sources
Author: Abdalbasit Adam Mariod
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2017-04-14
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 012813433X

Unconventional Oilseeds and New Oil Sources: Chemistry and Analysis is presented in three parts, with each section dedicated to different types of oil sources. Part One deals with plants (vegetable, herbs, shrubs), such as Hibiscus, Mexican Poppy, Cucumber, Squashes, Sesame, etc. Part Two presents unconventional oils found in trees (like Balanites aegyptiaca, Annona squamosal and Catunaregam nilotica), and Part Three deals with new oils found in insects, as in the water melon bug and sorghum bug. This book will be of interest to researchers in oilseed production, research and development personnel, food scientists, plant breeders, product development personnel, and government agency personnel involved in the production, transportation, distribution, and processing of oilseeds. - Compiles information on unconventional oilseeds and new sources of oil found worldwide, including those from plants (vegetables, herbs, shrubs), trees, and insects - Presents the physico-chemical properties of the seed oils, in addition to their mineral compositions and chemical analyses - Thoroughly explores the chemistry of new oils, their composition, bioactive compounds, such as fatty acids, tocopherols, and sterols - Introduces the composition of new oil sources, their content of minor and bioactive components, and the most used official methods for analysis

The African Baobab

The African Baobab
Author: Rupert Watson
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2014-02-12
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1775841693

The baobab is surely the botanical symbol of Africa, instantly recognizable from afar and a compelling icon of the African landscape. This age-old ‘upside-down tree’ invariably inspires wonder, awe and mystery, and has intrigued travellers for hundreds of years. In this absorbing and inspired account of The African Baobab, author Rupert Watson explores the life and times of this fascinating tree, from its early Madagascan beginnings to its present status on the continent and its future in a changing Africa. He effortlessly mixes natural science, history and personal experience, drawing on extracts from the journals of early explorers who, on encountering these extraordinary trees, measured and sketched them for a sceptical audience back home; and he presents intriguing, detailed accounts of the baobab’s eccentric growth and reproductive habits, its present-day distribution, and its wide impact on everyday African life. The author takes a close look at the myriad uses of baobabs over the ages: their hollow centres have served as prisons, toilets, wells and bars, and some specimens have even been used as a refuge in battle or as burial sites. Their fibre, seeds and fruit are credited with hundreds of applications, both practical and medicinal. Many locals feel a spiritual connection to these trees – believing them to possess mystical powers – and use them in rituals to promote healing or luck. Other relationships between humans and the baobab are explored too, often illustrated by delightful anecdotes. The rich and enthusiastic text is complemented by evocative, colourful images that show the curious baobab in all its many stages, moods and guises – and sometimes in the most unlikely places. This book cannot fail to inspire.

Phytochemical Profiling of Commercially Important South African Plants

Phytochemical Profiling of Commercially Important South African Plants
Author: Alvaro Viljoen
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 284
Release: 2021-08-28
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0128237805

Phytochemical Profiling of Commercially Important South African Plants comprises a carefully selected group of plant species that are of interest to researchers and industry partners who would like to investigate the commercialization of plant species. The book presents 25 botanicals selected based on commercial relevance. For each of the species, the following topics are covered: botanical description and distribution, phytochemistry (including chemical structures), HPTLC fingerprint analysis, UPLC analysis, and GC analysis (the latter only in the case of essential oil-bearing species). Using standard methodology, high-level chromatographic fingerprints have been developed for better understanding. Different methods are succinctly summarized allowing for the rapid identification of botanical raw materials and formulated consumer products. This book will be extremely valuable to researchers in the field who wish to rapidly identify the constituents and for those who want to prepare formulations of plant material for commercial applications. This work will also be a valuable resource in the field of pharmacognosy. - Comprehensive chemical profiling of each species - Fingerprints developed for non-volatile and volatile constituents - Methods succinctly summarized to ensure reproducibility

Comparative and Evolutionary Genomics of Angiosperm Trees

Comparative and Evolutionary Genomics of Angiosperm Trees
Author: Andrew Groover
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 379
Release: 2017-11-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319493299

Marking the change in focus of tree genomics from single species to comparative approaches, this book covers biological, genomic, and evolutionary aspects of angiosperm trees that provide information and perspectives to support researchers broadening the focus of their research. The diversity of angiosperm trees in morphology, anatomy, physiology and biochemistry has been described and cataloged by various scientific disciplines, but the molecular, genetic, and evolutionary mechanisms underlying this diversity have only recently been explored. Excitingly, advances in genomic and sequencing technologies are ushering a new era of research broadly termed comparative genomics, which simultaneously exploits and describes the evolutionary origins and genetic regulation of traits of interest. Within tree genomics, this research is already underway, as the number of complete genome sequences available for angiosperm trees is increasing at an impressive pace and the number of species for which RNAseq data are available is rapidly expanding. Because they are extensively covered by other literature and are rapidly changing, technical and computational approaches—such as the latest sequencing technologies—are not a main focus of this book. Instead, this comprehensive volume provides a valuable, broader view of tree genomics whose relevance will outlive the particulars of current-day technical approaches. The first section of the book discusses background on the evolution and diversification of angiosperm trees, as well as offers description of the salient features and diversity of the unique physiology and wood anatomy of angiosperm trees. The second section explores the two most advanced model angiosperm tree species (poplars and eucalypts) as well as species that are soon to emerge as new models. The third section describes the structural features and evolutionary histories of angiosperm tree genomes, followed by a fourth section focusing on the genomics of traits of biological, ecological, and economic interest. In summary, this book is a timely and well-referenced foundational resource for the forest tree community looking to embrace comparative approaches for the study of angiosperm trees.

The Baobab

The Baobab
Author: G. E. Wickens
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 1982
Genre: Adansonia digitata
ISBN: 9781842465806

Lost Crops of Africa

Lost Crops of Africa
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 380
Release: 2008-01-25
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0309164435

This book is the third in a series evaluating underexploited African plant resources that could help broaden and secure Africa's food supply. The volume describes 24 little-known indigenous African cultivated and wild fruits that have potential as food- and cash-crops but are typically overlooked by scientists, policymakers, and the world at large. The book assesses the potential of each fruit to help overcome malnutrition, boost food security, foster rural development, and create sustainable landcare in Africa. Each fruit is also described in a separate chapter, based on information provided and assessed by experts throughout the world. Volume I describes African grains and Volume II African vegetables.