r.1 - part

Introduction
The main objective of this handbook is to aid the identification of the common
trees and shrubs grown as fuelwood crops in plantations and forests
chiefly in tropical regions. It is intended as a companion volume to Firewood
Crops: Shrub and Tree Species for Energy Production (National Academy of
Sciences, Washington, D.C., 1980). Sixty woody species were described in
detail and illustrated in Firewood Crops; the collection is expanded to 90
species here.
This book is designed to help in the recognition and naming of growing
plants and specimens through nontechnical botanical descriptions and illustrations
that show details of leaves, flowers, and fruits. Drawings from older
volumes have been assembled for nearly all species. Previously published
distribution maps have been included for many. Additional references, including
classical and newer monographs, are cited as sources for further infornation.
Numerous common names for different languages and countries have
been compiled n.d indexed to assist identification.
Plan of the Text
Information for each species in this book generally follows the plan used in
Firewood Crops. Some subjects have been expanded, and other topics not
related to identification have been condensed or omitted. The botanical
descriptions are similar to those of other publications by the author, especially
the two-volume handbook on the trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
(Little and Wadsworth, 1964; Little, Woodbury, and Wadsworth, 1974). Text
and drawings of 30 species from these references have been adapted or revised
here. Throughout, the aim has been to prepare accurate botanical descriptions
in mostly nontechnical terms. The metric system has been used for
measurements. A table for converting to this system is found on the inside
back cover.
Botanical Description
A description and keys to individual species are provided for the 7 genera
which have 3 or roore species described here, and for the group of mangroves.
Next come the species descriptions which include the following information.
The heading above the text of each species gives the accepted scientific
name, a Latin binomial. This scientific name is repeated, with the author
added, as the botanical name; if the author's name is long, it is usually abbreviated.
Next come any synonyms, that is, other widely used scientific names.
These are followed by common names, given by language or country. The
plant family in English and Latin is given last. For the legume family, the subfamily
is added in parentheses.
While scientific names are necessary in international references involving
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