Gardens of Oceania

Abstract

Oceania, particularly in Vanuatu, gardens are the evidence of an ancestral rural tradition in which food plants are at one and the same time an indispensable resource, the symbols of a community and the objects of baiter or trade. The ni-Vanuatu devote themselves with true passion to their gardens, within which they collect, select and diversify a rich botanical heritage.Perusing this abundantly illustrated work, the reader will discover the full diversity of Oceanian food plants as well as the many exotic species introduced by the great explorers of the 16th century. Each species is the subject of a detailed dossier that describes amongst other things the variability, morphology, mode of cultivation and production of the plant as well as its different uses. The CD-ROM that accompanies the book provides information in greater detail for the specialist: bibliographic references, details and descriptors of yams and taros, photos illustrating the morphological variability, and much more. With the aim of preserving this exceptional plant heritage to the greatest possible extent, this work will draw the attention of a wide public to the gardens of Vanuatu, and to this Oceanian agriculture that combines a variety of multicultural contributions with great originality.