This book offers an up-to-date account of important crops grown worldwide. It provides detailed discussion on the history of plant exploration, migration, domestication and distribution, and crop improvement. The text starts with the origin and diversification of cultivated plants, followed by discussion on tropical, subtropical and temperate crops that are sources of food, beverages, spices and medicines, as well as plant insecticides, timber plants and essential oil-yielding plants. The genetic and evolutionary aspects of different plants and their health benefits are highlighted. The book covers topics dealing with biodiversity conservation, petro-crops, ethnobotanical studies, and important sub-tropical and temperate plants that have commercial importance. The significance of major plant species under each category is described in detail. Illustrated with numerous well-labelled line diagrams and pictures, this book will be useful for students of botany, food and nutrition, forestry, agriculture, horticulture, plant breeding and environmental science.

1.Introduction
a. Energy giving Food and Flavourings
b. Plants and Home
c. Plants Fibres and Fabrics
d. Plants and Health
2. Fibres and Fibre Yielding Plants
a. Classification of Fibres
b. Cotton
c. Flax
d. Hemp
3. Cereal Crops
a. Wheat
b. Breeding of Wheat
c.Rice
d. Breeding of rice
4. Sugars, Starches and Cellulose Products
a. Sugars
b. Sugarcane
c. Breeding of Sugarcane
d. Starches
5. Legumes or Pulses
a. Pigeon Pea, Red Gram Or Congo Pea
b. Chickpea, Gram, Bengal Gram, Garbanzos
c. Cluster Bean, Guar
d. Grass Pea, Chickling Vetch Or Pea, Lathyrus pea
6. Vegetable Oils and Fats
a. Classification Of Vegetable Oils
b. Location of Oils
c. Methods of Obtaining Oils
d. Keeping Quality Of Oilseed and Vegetable Oils and Fats etc..............