Field Guide to the Palms of New Guinea

New Guinea is one of the world's greatest palm diversity hotspots. With around 270 species, the island is home to some of the most beautiful and varied palms, many of which are of great economic importance to rural communities. The 'Field Guide to the Palms of New Guinea' is the first identification aid to the palms of the entire island, down to the genus level. Designed as practical aid to conservationists, horticulturists, field workers and students it makes extensive use of keys, line drawings and colour photographs, so that anyone with a basic knowledge of botany will find it a pleasure to use.

William J. Baker has worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew since 1998 and is an authority on the diversity and evolution of the palm family. William is head of Kew's palm research programme and leads the Palms of New Guinea project, a collaborative research and capacity building initiative on the island's palm diversity. He has travelled extensively to study palms in the wild, especially in New Guinea, has published widely on palm biology and is currently co-authoring the second edition of Genera Palmarum.
John Dransfield was head of palm research at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew from 1975 until his retirement in 2005. John is a leading specialist in the systematics of palms and an experienced fieldworker. He is co-author of Genera Palmarum, the standard scientific reference book for palms, and the World Checklist of Palms and currently co-edits PALMS, the Journal of the International Palm Society.