Author Description

Weeds are usually known to farmers and the general public by their common names. These names, which are obviously easier to remember than their corresponding Latin or Linnean names are also frequently used in non-scientific technical literature. The fact that one species may have several common names, while in some cases one name can apply to several species, creates much ambiguity and confusion - especially for those engaged in comparative studies or wishing to incorporate research done in other countries into their own work, as well as for translators working in this field. Although some European countries have attempted to solve this problem by producing official or semiofficial lists in which one common name is given for each species, some of these lists have only a limited circulation while not all authorities from the different countries are in agreement over which species should be classified as weeds. The Education Committee of the European Weed Research Society has gathered together national lists and attempted to remedy their deficiencies. The result is this dictionary - about 1,000 plant species have been classified giving the common name for each, where it exists, in all of the major European languages. An additional feature of the dictionary is that the importance of particular species as weeds in the different regions of Europe has been estimated. This multilingual dictionary should thus prove invaluable to all weed scientists, botanists, field ecologists, translators of technical literature and those involved in the international agrochemical industry.