The first edition of this dictionary, Elsevier's Dictionary of Horticulture, edited by J. Nydam and A. de Jong was published in 1970. Since that time horticulture has expanded and developed spectacularly and the aim of this second edition is to meet a worldwide need to develop close contacts and to keep up with the developments in the horticultural world. Numerous terms have been introduced, covering a far broader field than the previous dictionary.

Again English was chosen as the basic language and Portuguese has been added with Latin for the scientific names of organisms. Apart from the...