This is a guide to the colourful world of plants, both ornamental and economic, from all regions of the tropics. Introductory chapters discuss the types of tropical vegetation, the effect which man has had upon the ecology of the tropics and on the spreading of both ornamental and economic plants around the world, and the role of these plants in art and mythology. The main text gives a botanical description of each species with flowering time, origin, distribution and requirements. In the case of economic plants it also includes production tables comparing national yields. There are 274 colour photographs, and 325 plants are described. This guide is intended as a companion to botanists travelling in the tropics.