Review

Over 40 years ago Robert Hegnauer started a comprehensive review of the comparative phytochemistry of fungi and plants. With the publication of the volume on the Papilionoideae (Fabaceae) the series is now complete. Over the years the authors shifted their emphasis: In the earlier volumes family treatments give a highly summarised account of the most important chemical compounds and their taxonomic significance. While in the Leguminosae volumes detailed attention is given to ethnobotany and associated phytochemical traits that may explain the uses, much less attention is paid to the possible systematic and phylogenetic significance. However, these volumes contain a wealth of information that is otherwise scattered throughout a large body of literature.