A comprehensive study of New Guinean palms.
From exquisite palmlets to graceful canopy giants, palms dominate the rainforests of New Guinea, one of the last tropical wilderness areas on the planet. New Guinea is the world's largest tropical island and a globally significant biodiversity hotspot. Its extraordinary flora and remarkable 250 species of palm are vital for the people of New Guinea, who depend on them for their survival.
Palms of New Guinea is the first comprehensive account of these immensely important plants, covering their taxonomy, identification, distribution, habitat, conservation status, and much more. Alongside over 650 photographs and 250 detailed maps, botanical artist Lucy T. Smith has illustrated all species featured in
Palms of New Guinea. Written by nine scientific experts, this is an essential companion for anyone studying or working in the region.
Baker, William J.: - William J. Baker is a senior research leader at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He coauthored the second edition of Genera Palmarum, also published by Kew, and coedits PALMS, the journal of the International Palm Society.
Barfod, Anders S.: - Anders S. Barfod is associate professor of tropical plant resources at the University of Aarhus.
Camara-Leret, Rodrigo: - Rodrigo Camara-Leret is assistant professor of botany at the University of Zurich.
Dowe, John L.: - John L. Dowe is adjunct senior research fellow at the Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University in Cairns.
Dransfield, John: - John Dransfield is an honorary research fellow at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where, until his retirement in 2005, he was head of palm research. He is coauthor of the two editions of Genera Palmarum and coedits PALMS, the journal of the International Palm Society.
Heatubun, Charlie D.: - Charlie D. Heatubun is professor of forest botany at the University of Papua, Manokwari, and head of the Regional Research and Innovation Agency of West Papua Province, Indonesia, which he has chaired since 2017.
Petoe, Peter: - Peter Petoe is an ecologist and conservation officer at the local government authority of Kalundborg, Denmark.
Smith, Lucy T.: - Lucy T. Smith is an award-winning botanical artist who has illustrated plants professionally for thirty years, many of those at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which holds hundreds of her illustrations in its collection.
Turner, Jessica H.: - Jessica H. Turner is a recent biology graduate from the University of Bath. She completed a nine-month internship at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 2021, where she assisted on the Palms of New Guinea project, especially in the compilation and completion of conservation assessments.
Zona, Scott: - Scott Zona is a research technician in horticultural science at North Carolina State University and a research collaborator with the herbarium of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is coauthor of The Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms and author of A Gardener's Guide to Botany. He also coedits PALMS, the journal of the International Palm Society.
