Eurasian Geophytes: A Review

Editor: Sibel Day

Series Title: Frontiers in Horticulture

Eurasian Geophytes: A Review

Volume 2

ISBN: 979-8-89881-058-0
eISBN: 979-8-89881-057-3 (Online)

Introduction

This volume bridges scientific research with applied horticultural practices by examining the taxonomy, cultivation, ecological significance, and conservation of ornamental and medicinal plants such as Fritillaria, Gladiolus, and Saffron.

This book explores environmental requirements and sustainable cultivation methods by covering topics from plant morphology and classification to seed and vegetative propagation techniques, including tissue culture. Chapters also highlight the ethnobotanical value of these species and the challenges posed by habitat loss and overharvesting, offering practical conservation strategies to mitigate human impact.

Key Features:

  • - Details of morphological and taxonomic insights
  • - Presents propagation techniques, including advanced tissue culture
  • - Discusses soil, climate, and ecological needs for optimal cultivation
  • - Highlights traditional medicinal and ornamental applications
  • - Emphasizes conservation strategies for protecting wild populations


Readership:

Botanists, horticulturists, conservationists, and agricultural professionals committed to the sustainable use and preservation of geophytic plant diversity.

Preface

Geophytes are plants with underground organs that can survive, while their above-ground parts wither after the growing season. These botanical organisms, known for their specialized underground storage organs, display a wide variety of morphological adaptations essential for retaining nutrients, storing water, and surviving in diverse environmental conditions.

While our understanding of geophytes is slowly improving, especially in terms of the evolution of underground traits and the environmental factors affecting their distribution, heightened attention is needed for the scientific exploration of these taxa due to their economic and evolutionary significance.

In this book, we present a collection of 8 chapters written by experts in the field of geophytes. The information presented in this book demonstrates the features of geophytes, cultivation, some important families, and their importance.

I am extremely grateful to all our contributors for accepting the invitation to share their knowledge and research. Their expertise from diverse fields has been invaluable in composing the chapters, and their enduring editorial suggestions have helped to produce this project. I would also like to express my thanks to the Bentham team for their generous cooperation at every stage of the book production.

Sibel Day
Department of Field Crops
Faculty of Agriculture
Ankara University
Ankara, Türkiye

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