Book reviews

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present knowledge and discuss briefly some of its major clades based on the contributions of the authors of the preceding chapters. They also show the tree of life as published in 1989 based on the results of the 1988 Nobel symposium, which indeed looks rather pathetic compared with the new one and underscores the success story of the last 15 years. Again the point is made that ‘‘a successful war against paraphyly is the surest measure of success’’, against named paraphyletic groups, to be sure. Other points made by the editors are that extinct life should be included in a comprehensive tree of life and that molecular and morphological data (perhaps better: DNA and non-DNA data) should both be incorporated to allow for a complete appreciation of the biological diversity. In this respect it is interesting to read in the chapter by M. Whiting that Coleoptera are characterized by more than 20 morphological features unique to them and ‘‘Ironically, all molecular studies to date suggest that beetles do not form a natural grouping of species (. . .), but this is probably more indicative of the inadequacy of the current DNA evidence rather than substantial of coleopteran paraphyly’’. This is certainly worth remembering for everybody participating in the future discoveries of the tree of life. Reference Fernholm B., Thulin M., Bremer K., Jo¨rnvall H. (eds.) (1989) The hierarchy of life. Nobel Symposium 70. Elsevier, Amsterdam.

Volker Bittrich Campinas, Brazil DOI 10.1007/s00606-005-0399-0

Stearn W.T.: Botanical latin. History, grammar, syntax terminology and vocabulary. 4th edition. 42 line drawings, xiv + 546 pp. David & Charles, Devon, 2004. Softcover £ 19.99. ISBN 0-7153-1643-5. Timber Press, Portland, 2004. Softcover US $ 29.95. ISBN 0-88192-627-2.

Vivat botanice, vivat lingua latina botanica! Long live botany, long live botanical Latin! In the 18th century, Latin was the language of choice for botanical descriptions and nomenclature among European scholars. During this time, words originating from classical Latin were adopted and adapted for new meanings and applications in botanical writing. Thanks in large part to Carl Linnaeus, who formalized the style of plant names and descriptions in his seminal publications (1707–78), a linguistic divergence took place that brought forth the parting of the ways between botanical Latin and Renaissance Latin. In the three centuries since then, botanical Latin has matured and expanded as a language, increasing its vocabulary and refining its syntax and diction, and has become as highly derived from classical Latin as modern Italian, earning the right to be considered its own language. Indeed, botanical Latin could be defined as a modern Romance language with special technical applications in the plant sciences. The book Botanical Latin, written by William T. Stearn, is dedicated to teaching botanists how to read, write, understand, and apply Latin to their field of study. The wealth of information contained in this volume can be approached on various levels. On the simplest level, the book can be employed as a kind of Latin and Greek science dictionary which allows the reader to decipher the meaning behind scientific names and terminology by using the extensive vocabulary lists of words derived from these ancient languages. Or, one can delve deeper and learn to use the language itself by consulting the sections on Latin grammar. Alternatively, if one is only interested in speedy compliance with the Botanical Code of Nomenclature, which still requires diagnoses and formal descriptions of new taxa to be published in Latin, with a little bit of practice and some ingenuity, one can pattern a species description on one of the many examples in the book. These examples span the

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breadth of the plant kingdom, from algae, lichen, and fungi to grasses and orchids. To restrict the usage of Botanical Latin to these perfunctory activities is, however, to miss out completely on the book’s essence and significance. Of course, taking on declensions in Latin is not for the faint of heart, but it is comforting to have a steady and patient hand guiding the way, for Stearn is an amiable and skilled teacher, an eloquent and entertaining author, and an experienced and knowledgeable botanist. Moreover, Botanical Latin is not a dry textbook dictating the application of Latin to the plant sciences, but rather, an engaging book that explores the relationship of Latin — specifically botanical Latin — to the sciences. In the first 50 pages of the book, there is a scholarly and fascinating account on the early history of botany and the evolution of botanical Latin. Useful and interesting, too, are the extensive discussions on geographic names, color terms, origin and application of Greek words, formation of binomial names, descriptive terminology (shapes, margin outlines, surface textures, etc.), chemical reactions and tests, and symbols and abbreviations. The interesting array of words in these sections will pique the curiosity of even the most casual of readers leafing through the book to slow down, pause, and browse awhile. For the more serious user, this book contains everything a budding botanist needs before embarking on a sojourn into the wilds of botanical nomenclature.

Book reviews

Scattered throughout the book are some lovely botanical ink drawings, which becomingly illustrate the points discussed in the text. Formatting the text — with its countless number of foreign words, tables of conjugations, and word lists — must have been a printer’s nightmare, but the brilliant use of italics, boldface, and quotation marks make it effortless for the reader to grasp immediately the linguistic complexities and concepts being discussed. The book itself is sturdily bound in a jaunty, grass-green colored softcover and adorned with a graceful peel-away drawing of a two-tone composite. This is actually the first paperback version of the 4th edition originally released in 1992 and, accordingly, can be acquired for quite a modest price. This puts Botanical Latin within reach of not only chronically underpaid academics, but also of students, horticulturalists, hobby botanists, and gardeners, all of whom will certainly benefit from reading, consulting, and using this fine publication. Ignominy to the plant taxonomist who doesn’t already have the book! (You can redeem yourself by ordering now.) University libraries and research institutions should be sure to get a copy of this one-of-kind book onto their reference shelves, if it is not already happily residing there in hardcover form.

Carole T. Gee Bonn, Germany