By
R.C. White, Hollister, CA, USA
Description
The border between the United States of America and Mexico is the busiest in the world. This area is also the meeting place of the two
great cultures of the Western Hemisphere, Spanish-speaking Latin America and English-speaking North America. Recent demographic migrations
coupled with increasing globalization have necessitated closer cooperation and communication between these groups.
The area of communication
of this dictionary centers around the vernacular or common names of plants. Many recent immigrants from Mexico and further south have
gained employment in areas of agriculture, landscaping, and commercial plant nurseries. The new residents also bring with them a rich
history of herbal medicines that are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. Both groups share interests in each other's
cuisines with respect to food plants and spices.
This dictionary contains the Latin, English, and Spanish names for over 7,000 species
of the most important plants found mainly in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Included are native and naturalized
plants as well as plants of economic value. The main section of the book is organized alphabetically by the scientific Latin genus and
species of each plant. The book is also fully indexed by common names primarily in American-English and Mexican-Spanish.
