Flowers of Ethiopia and Eritrea: Aloes and Other Lilies

  • Sebsebe Demissew,
  • Inger Nordal &
  • Odd E. Stabbetorp
Shama Books, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: 2004. 227 pp. US$15 e-mail: shamabooks@telecom.net.et

Taxonomy has been much in the news in the past year or so. Everybody seems to want more of it, and in a slightly different way than it is currently done. Perhaps taxonomy should be done solely on the web, or by using a set of DNA barcodes — opinions differ. But just what is taxonomy and why is it suddenly in demand? I contend that taxonomy (or systematics, as some people prefer to call it) is composed of three interlocking spheres of scientific endeavour: phylogeny, description and identification. This book is a sterling example of how all three aspects of taxonomy can come together to produce something of lasting value to a variety of end-users.

The book is a colour guide to the identification of the charismatic flowers that characterize dry habitats such as Ethiopia — ‘lilies’ in the broadest sense. Identification is aided by easy-to-use keys, simple descriptions and lovely photographic plates, which make this a nice book for just exploring the amazing diversity of these plants, quite apart from its obvious use in the field. But the authors have done more than just produce an identification guide: they have set the lilies of the region in their phylogenetic context, and the book's introduction shows just how important it is to link those three areas of taxonomic study.

The phylogeny of the monocots (such as lilies, grasses and orchids) has undergone radical change and restructuring with the use of DNA sequence data. The number of families recognized and their relationships to one another have changed considerably over the past decade (see Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 141, 399–436; 2003). Rather than brushing all this under the carpet, the authors clearly and concisely explain why phylogeny matters. Then, through the use of the field-guide format, they show how such rearrangements make sense when looking at the plants themselves. They are also brave enough to admit what all taxonomists know: that the classification of such groups, where new data are emerging, is still in flux.

Phylogenies and field guides are both of obvious use, but both require a solid base of descriptive taxonomy. This book, and to a certain extent the phylogeny to which it adheres, rests on the descriptive work done on the region's flora. Major projects documenting national floras (and faunas) have uncovered new species and provided the observations and taxonomic decisions that are needed for both phylogeny and field identification.

Books such as this, with its numerous illustrations and accessible style, inspire others to study organisms, helping the accumulation of information about uses and, to my mind more importantly, conservation status. How on earth can we conserve biodiversity unless we know something about it? This book is an example of how to do it.