522 ECONOMIC BOTANY [VOL. 41

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Book Review

The Phytochemistry of the Flora of Qatar . A. M. Rizk. Scientific and Appl ied Research Center, Universi ty of Qatar, P.O. Box 120169, Doha-Qatar . 1986. 582 pp. with colored plates. $50.00.

This excellent book provides a format that should be followed by others contemplat ing writing about phytochemistry of any flora. Nothing has been spared in the style and presentation of material to afford an easy retrieval o f information. For example, color plates are well dispersed throughout the book, chemical formulae are of a size that makes their structures easy to distinguish, and indices are well designed.

The book correlates data obtained from studies conducted in Qatar on 301 species in 207 genera and 55 families, in addi t ion to information available from the literature con- cerned with the flora of Qatar. Data on the chemical constituents (alkaloids, anthraquinones, coumarins, flavonoids, saponins, steroids and/or terpenoids, and tannins) are presented with the purpose of providing information that may be of value in disclosing new sources of economic materials, including tannins, oils, gums, and the precursors for the synthesis of complex chemical substances or therapeutic agents. Information is by no means restricted to those plants representing different categories of folk use, such as medicinal plants, poisonous plants, and food plants, etc., although details on certain species are emphasized. The book is divided into two parts: Part One describes the "Chemical Constituents of the Flora of Qatar and Other Related Plants" and is ordered alphabetically by family; Part Two relates to the "Dis t r ibut ion of Different Constituents in the Plants of Qatar" in categories like terpenoids and steroids, flavonoids, coumarins, organic acids, quinones, alkaloids, glucosinolates, and cyanogenic and i r idoid glycosides. This type of cross refer- encing is extremely valuable in identifying important plants and their components. Included also are a glossary of medical terms, references, an index of botanical names, and a subject index.

Since many of the plants known to Qatar are found in many other parts of the Arab world, this comprehensive study should provide valuable information to all those interested in the development of plants for industrial or medicinal use in the region and also elsewhere.

MEMORY ELVIN-LEwIS, WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, ST. LOUIS, MO 63110