Remarkable agaves and cacti /

Agaves and cacti are remarkable plants: they grow in diverse habitats but particularly thrive in hot, dry localities where few other large plants survive, yet they are highly productive in a wide range of climates. They are remarkable for their physiology and their ability to conserve water. In size, they range from small inconspicuous plants to large tree-like specimens. Some form "forests." These two distantly related groups of flowering plants are joined in this book largely because of the similar habitats they occupy. The uses of these plants by humans--past and present--are detailed in reference to food, beverages, and fibers, and as substrates for dye-producing insects. The physiology of carbon conversion and water relationships is outlined with particular attention given to the question of how these plants survive the stresses of their environments. There are several compelling narratives about the ecologically disastrous introductions of cacti into new areas. Issues revolving around conservation conclude the book. This book should interest growers, anthropologists, and general biologists by bringing together recent physiological and ecological information in a convenient and readable form. General; upper-division undergraduate through faculty; pre-professional. D. H. Pfister; Harvard University