Publisher's Synopsis
This volume comprises one complete family, the Caesalpiniaceae, together with all native and naturalised Mimosaceae apart from Acacia. It provides descriptions of 38 genera, 153 species and 16 'form taxa' in these families, and includes contributions from seven authors. Mimosaceae is represented in Australia by 17 genera, of which 16 (containing 43 species) are dealt with in this volume. Most of the species documented here occur as trees, shrubs or lianes in subtropical Australia. Twenty-two genera of Caesalpiniaceae (of which three are endemic and six naturalised) and 126 species are present in Australia and are covered in this book. A number of the genera covered in the volume are of horticultural significance and some are pest species. Albizia is commonly found in gardens and is a pest species in some areas. Red Sandalwood (Adenanthera pavonia), Raintree (Samanea saman), Cape Wattle (Paraserianthes lophantha) and Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) are widely cultivated in the tropics. The Tamarind Tree (Tamarindus indica) is popular with horticulturalists in Western Australia and Queensland.
