A Bromeliad Glossary

BSI Publications

A review by Derek Butcher


The most annoying thing about a glossary is not being able to find the word you want. Glossaries are the favourite fill-in for Editors of Newsletters but they rarely get completed so you have a surfeit of "A"s and a dearth of "Z"s. Secondly you inevitably lose the wanted section!

Glossaries can be too large and not relating to your particular interest. For example many many years ago Tom Lineham asked me to update the Bromeliad Glossary but when I had got up to over 10 pages for "A" he said "Whoa!" and I whoa'd.

The latest Glossary seems to be the right size and should answer most of a Bromeliad fancier's questions. Pamela Koide has done a fine job in compiling this 2nd edition and all serious newcomers to the Bromeliad World should have a copy.

There is just one area I would like improved and that is lots and lots of simple drawings explaining the meaning of words. Amy Jean Gilmartin's keys and the use of drawings in her book 'The Bromeliaceae of Ecuador' (1972) are marvellous. Here I could understand her meaning straight away whereas L. B. Smith's keys needed a Glossary close to hand!


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