1st Edition
CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology (5 Volume Set)
Biography
Umberto Quattrocchi earned his first degree in political science from the University of Palermo. He followed this achievement with an M.D., specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. In 1992, he retired from the practice of medicine to pursue his studies in botany across the world and is teaching as a professor of botany at the University of Palermo. Highly prolific, Quattrocchi has numerous political and botanical books and articles to his credit, including those on plants and gardening that have been published in Hortus and The Garden. In 1997, he received the prestigious Hanbury Botanical Garden Award promoted by the Premio Grinzane Cavour for his book Piante Rustiche Tropicali. He received a second Hanbury Award for the bestselling CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names. He is a member of the International Dendrology Society, the Royal Horticultural Society, and the Botanical Society of America. He is also an elected Fellow of the world-renowned Linnean Society.
"With almost 4000 pages of detailed scholarship, any academic, scientist, or layperson interested in medicinal plants owes a moment of appreciation to the tireless genius of Umberto Quattrocchi. The creation of these five impressive volumes is the product of a singular talent, an admirably obsessive and passionate mind. … CRC also must be recognized for supporting such a massive endeavor and trusting Quattrocchi’s process. … And while the large price tag is justified for such a specialized, complete, and useful set of books, the electronic format makes this collection especially valuable. A dictionary so replete with facts and references needs to be completely searchable to meet the full extent of its usefulness. … Admittedly, this type of reference book is not intended to be the last word on every economically useful species, but it is an unparalleled starting place—a tool of first resort for any thoughtful researcher. Quattrocchi and CRC have delivered a dictionary like no other, a learned finger pointing in the right direction."
—John de la Parra, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, from Economic Botany, Vol. 68, 2014
