Book recommendations, please

For the discussion of topics related to the conservation, cultivation, propagation and exhibition of cacti & other succulents.
Forum rules
For the discussion of topics related to the conservation, cultivation, propagation, exhibition & science of cacti & other succulents only.

Please respect all forum members opinions and if you can't make a civil reply, don't reply!
User avatar
Paul in Essex
BCSS Member
Posts: 2093
https://www.behance.net/kuchnie-warszawa
Joined: 11 Jan 2007
Branch: SOUTHEND-ON-SEA
Country: England
Role within the BCSS: Member
Location: North Thames Delta
Contact:

Book recommendations, please

Post by Paul in Essex »

I was having a wander through my bookshelf this morning and noticed that I have quite a lot of reference material for succulent plants but not very much for cacti. I'd quite like to do something about that.

What would be the considered opinions as to the best overall cactus book, large or small? I have had a look at Keith's Cactus books, tried the search facility on here and have to admit I am totally bewildered. Nothing better than a recommendation.

Or would I do better to concentrate on genera I am interested in like, say, ferocactus, or do the general books cover these in reasonable detail anyway? I am thinking that if I buy one on ferocactus, then echinocactus etc it would soon add up to quite a bit!

My specific interest would be cacti from Mexico, of all shapes and sizes, so would I do better to try and find regional flora?

Confused - all recommendations and reviews gratefully received!
www.oasisdesigns.co.uk

Exotic garden design.
User avatar
Tony R
Moderator
Posts: 4011
Joined: 20 Apr 2009
Branch: BROMLEY
Country: UK
Role within the BCSS: Member
Location: Hartley, LONGFIELD, Kent

Re: Book recommendations, please

Post by Tony R »

Hi Paul,

The "cactus books" I refer to most, again and again, are:

1. Hunt et al, The New Cactus Lexicon

2. Anderson, The Cactus Family

3. Cullman, Gotz and Groner, The Encyclopedia of Cacti

For specific genera, my most-thumbed books are:

1. Pilbeam, Mammillaria (Cactus File Handbook 6)

2. Pilbeam and Bowdery, Ferocactus

3. Pilbeam and Weightman, Ariocarpus et cetera (for all your Mexican gems)

and this year's star of the cactophile's bookshop:

4. Charles, Gymnocalycium in Habitat and Culture.

Have a happy bibliophilistic christmas!
Tony Roberts
Treasurer, Haworthia Society
Chairman, Tephrocactus Study Group
Moderator, BCSS Forum
Kent
(Gasteria, Mammillaria, small Opuntia, Cleistocactus and Sempervivum are my current special interests)
Vic
Registered Guest
Posts: 5123
Joined: 11 Jan 2007
Branch: BIRMINGHAM & District
Country: UK
Role within the BCSS: Seed Purchaser
Location: Birmingham UK

Re: Book recommendations, please

Post by Vic »

I'd recommend the New Cactus Lexicon, quite a large initial outlay Paul but it will cover all Mexican cacti including the larger cerei. As you say if you buy a book per genus it will end up costing you a small fortune. Also there isn't necessarily a book which covers each, you can buy books on Feros, Echinocereus, Mammillaria etc.. but some genera aren't covered by a monograph.
Image
User avatar
Peter
BCSS Member
Posts: 2646
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Branch: None
Country: UK
Location: Cornwall

Re: Book recommendations, please

Post by Peter »

Add: 'Cacti - The Illustrated Dictionary' by Rod & Ken Preston-Mafham. 1100 photos of the globular cacti.
User avatar
Dot
BCSS Member
Posts: 436
Joined: 19 Jul 2007
Branch: SHEFFIELD
Country: England
Role within the BCSS: Forum Moderator

Re: Book recommendations, please

Post by Dot »

I would add "Ariocarpus et cetera ", by John Pilbeam and Bill Weightman, it deals with the smaller genera of Mexican cacti.Also, anything by Graham Charles, his Gymno book has already been mentioned,- I find his book "Cacti and Succulents" very good as it gives info about the plants and their cultivation.

Hope this helps,

Dot.
Dot
Zone 3 Rep.
User avatar
DaveW
BCSS Member
Posts: 8154
Joined: 08 Jul 2007
Branch: NOTTINGHAM
Country: UK
Role within the BCSS: Branch President
Location: Nottingham

Re: Book recommendations, please

Post by DaveW »

I'd endorse most of the above, but would prefer the New Cactus Lexicon to Anderson, which is OK on N. American cacti but not so good for S. American ones since though he reduced some species to synonymy knowing in advance what the New Cactus Lexicon was going to do, he did not amplify the specific descriptions to encompass the extra variation of the enlarged species.

Therefore you will occasionally get a picture of a red flowered plant under that name, being one reduced into synonymy, but if you read the description it will only give that for the original species which may have been solely yellow flowered. That could be confusing to those not familiar with all the plants reduced to synonymy. Obviously the descriptions should have been modified to read "red to yellow flowers" plus all the variations in spination now encompassed etc.

Anderson is a good book otherwise, but some of the descriptions are useless for identifying his enlarged species.

DaveW
Nottingham Branch BCSS. Joined the then NCSS in 1961, Membership number 11944. Cactus only collection.
kaowinston
Registered Guest
Posts: 405
Joined: 07 Feb 2009

Re: Book recommendations, please

Post by kaowinston »

Hello Paul

The only one I use is the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cacti by Clive Innes and Charles Glass. It has over 1200 photo examples with identification captions, and serves as a beautiful reference book. I find it quite useful when identifying cacti which I do not know.
User avatar
Paul in Essex
BCSS Member
Posts: 2093
Joined: 11 Jan 2007
Branch: SOUTHEND-ON-SEA
Country: England
Role within the BCSS: Member
Location: North Thames Delta
Contact:

Re: Book recommendations, please

Post by Paul in Essex »

Thanks all. It looks like the 'New Cactus Lexicon' is nudging ahead, with 'Ariocarpus et cetera' a close second, given my interests.

What is NCL like for habitat data - anything specific or just 'Mexico' like you read in some books!

One I do actually have is 'Cacti - The Illustrated Dictionary' by Rod & Ken Preston-Mafham. But I miss the columnars, one of my interests. Actually that raises a point - are there any books just on columnar cacti out there, does anyone know?
www.oasisdesigns.co.uk

Exotic garden design.
User avatar
DaveW
BCSS Member
Posts: 8154
Joined: 08 Jul 2007
Branch: NOTTINGHAM
Country: UK
Role within the BCSS: Branch President
Location: Nottingham

Re: Book recommendations, please

Post by DaveW »

I think the Clive Innes equivalent of the Preston Mafham book (Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cacti, Clive Innes) had more columnar's in as I remember? Tony Mace may be able to tell you. See their web site on Columnar Cacti:-

http://www.columnar-cacti.org/

You can probably contact him through the e-mail link (3rd from bottom) in the grey column on the Cactus Mall here:-

http://www.cactus-mall.com/

The New Cactus Lexicon is reasonable good for habitat data, but like a lot of works these days deliberately vague if it wants to protect habitats. We can only hope this data is filed somewhere because when those in the know die that knowledge may go with them to the grave and we will have the same confusion in trying to identify plants caused by imprecise habitats that we did with the early collectors.

All science relies on full disclosure of facts, so personally I think any new description not now detailing GPS and full habitat data should be deemed a nomen dubium and invalid since it cannot be precisely identified where the type actually came from.

Even depositing such information with type species is not enough, since some types supposedly deposited with institutions in the past cannot now be found, but their original descriptions in literature often seem far more permanent records than those at botanical institutions around the world.

At the moment we have conservation aims fighting with scientific ones. As we have seen with the recent British university climate change debacle, you cannot rely on any particular scientists to be the sole custodian of data since it is always open to manipulation for their own ends. Only full publication of data allows the proper scientific checks and balances to apply.

If they want to protect a new species don't name it and just leave them for others to find later when they can be protected by the authorities. Plants with just numbers are never as desirable to collectors stripping habitats as those with names.

But then you cannot put all those new descriptions you have produced on your CV when applying for grants etc, which is one reason the professionals don't want amateurs to name plants since it is one less to go on their credits! Am I being cynical?:)

DaveW:rant:
Nottingham Branch BCSS. Joined the then NCSS in 1961, Membership number 11944. Cactus only collection.
User avatar
Paul in Essex
BCSS Member
Posts: 2093
Joined: 11 Jan 2007
Branch: SOUTHEND-ON-SEA
Country: England
Role within the BCSS: Member
Location: North Thames Delta
Contact:

Re: Book recommendations, please

Post by Paul in Essex »

No, I don't think you are being cynical at all, Dave. It seems that the 'professional' botanists now mainly have an agenda which revolves around staking out territory. I have tried asking one or two American and Mexican botanists, who are currently extremely active in the field, about 'new' plants I have seen during my trips and they are just not interested. You would have thought the extra eyes would be welcomed - if you add together all the 'amateurs' who are out there looking around it must be significant - but it seems not. Either our own illiterate fumblings are not considered good enough or, as you mention and I suspect is the case, they are scared of being pipped to the post on new species description.

Anyway, I will most likely plump for the NCL then see what gaps, if any, need filling. But I guess that will do for this xmas!

I must ask Tony if he is open to callers these days? I have never got around to seeing his collection.
www.oasisdesigns.co.uk

Exotic garden design.
Post Reply