Product Description
This book bridges a long-standing gap between obscure references in tropical botany and the gardener's need for an accurate, practical guide with clear photographs. Incorporating the latest advances in plant taxonomy from the definitive text of Dr. Walter Judd, the book is a rare work of scrupulous research --- and magnificent photography --- that will be as useful to the gardener as it is to the botanist. Kirsten Llamas exhaustively documents more than 1400 flowering trees, shrubs, vines, and herbaceous plants commonly grown in tropical and subtropical gardens. She provides thorough information on cultivation for each plant, including growth characteristics, light exposure, cold hardiness, invasive tendencies, and unique horticultural features. More than 1500 color photos of magnificent flowering specimens make this book as much a pleasure to browse as it is a resource for research. Sure to appeal to gardeners, landscapers, nurseries, collectors, botany students, florists, and botanical gardens, Tropical Flowering Plants promises to be a staple reference for decades to come. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Excellent. Gorgeous
Having looked a long time for a book like this, I was thrilled with it. Incredible breadth of coverage with good practical details in plant culture and beautiful photography.

Tropical Flower Plants
I purchased this book for my husband because my son had one that he ordered from Amazon and is thoroughly
enjoying it so my husband received his book and will not put it down.So much information concerning
tropical plants.We love tropical plants and this book is a great help.

Tropical Flowering Plants
This is an excellent reference book for any plant lover who lives in the sub-tropics.We grow several hundred kinds of tropical plants and I have yet to disagree with anything I've read in the book.

Tropical Flowering Plants
This amazing book is a must for people who love tropical flowering plants. The photos are in accurate colour, and the wealth of information is concise, clear, and helpful. It is delightful being able to match my photos to hers.

A solid guide to tropical flowering plants
This is a very good book for gardeners who live in a tropical climate, especially those who would like to grow plants that are not ordinarily found in big box plant nurseries.

Cultivation requirements of listed plants are clear and concise, and include warnings as to invasiveness, toxicity of plant materials, and any unusual quirks.

There is also a list of invasive plants, and those that are considered endangered or rare.

I enjoy just sitting and reading through it, each time picking out another plant I would like to have, as if it was a catalog. ... Read more

Product Description
The Galpagos are home to a wide-ranging assortment of unusual plants and animals. The islands became famous as the site of Charles Darwin's research leading to his theory of evolution by natural selection, and their magnificent flora and fauna continue to draw visitors from around the world. Based on the author's sixteen years of fieldwork and featuring his exceptional photography, Flowering Plants of the Galpagos is the first accessible, in-depth yet compact guide to the plant life of the area. An invaluable resource for tourists, natural history enthusiasts, and professionals, the book: introduces the botanical history of the islands and their varied ecological zones allows easy identification of 436 flowering plants (77 families, 192 genera, and 390 species) covers endemic plants found exclusively on the islands; native plants, which grow on the Galpagos and elsewhere; and exotic plants present as a result of human actions offers thorough accounts of the plants which give the scientific, common, and family names; range; islands inhabited; habitat; description; and additional notes of interest is richly illustrated with 266 color photographs of flowering plants and 117 of plant pollinators, vegetation zones, non-flowering plants, and the islands themselves organizes species by form, leaf arrangement, and flower color and includes descriptive plant drawings to aid in identificationprovides a map of the Galpagos and a list of plants likely to be seen at popular tourist sites ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

User friendly guide.
I found the "Flowering Plants of the Galapagos" to be a very useful and user-friendly flower guide.The discussion on how to use the guide was thorough yet simple enough for the botanical novice to understand the information.The "Introduction" section was helpful in acquanting the user with the general characterists of the archipelago and the vegetation zones of the islands.This section not only assists the reader in knowing where specific plants may be located, but also gives some insight into the ecology of the plants.I found the key to be one of the most straight-forward and user-friendly that I have used.Even the most botanically challenged individual could easily work through the logical progression of choices offered in the key.The amount of information given with each plant is also a positive attribute to this guide book.The author clearly outlines the range of the plants and lists the islands in which the plants inhabit, which is a very useful piece of information.The habitat is given along with a thorough description of the plant.Lastly, the additional comments offer a nice touch of the plants natural history, use, or some other piece of interesting trivia.I thought the author did a superb job of presenting the amazing flora of the Galapagos in a simple, easy to understand fashion that any visitor could appreciate.Lastly, the quality of the photos truly add to the attractiveness and effectiveness of the book.

Recommended
A wonderful book for botanists or any traveler heading to the Galapagos. It covers 436 flowering plants and provides photos of more than half. It also introduces the botanical history of the islands and their variedecological zones. Its boasts clear text and some exceptional pictures.

A Must for Flower Lovers Everywhere
I have been intrigued for years by the plants, animals and birds of the Galapagos. Not only have I found the perfect field guide for flowering plants written by Dr. McMullen but, in addition, this book will serve adual purpose as a guide for my own visit and that visitors to my home willfind it on display among my favorite and frequent references. The picturesare beautiful with detail and clarity. Keep up the great work Dr. McMullenand I hope your obvious hard work and labor continue to bear fruit.

A book long overdue
This is a GREAT book! The descriptions are concise and accurate, and the photographs are excellent as well. This guide is clearly head and shoulders above all other existing literature in terms of utility. If you can onlybuy one book about the islands, this is it.

A must for any visitor, naturalist, or fan of flora!
It would have been a lot easier to have been a naturalist guide in the Galapagos if we had only had this book.This is a treat and a treasure!The plant life of these incredible islands has been overshadowed by theantics of the wildlife and threats of El Nino.They can now take frontstage with this useful guide that even a novice will find easy to use.Thepictures are beautiful and the descriptions accurate.For those that usethis book, they will introduced to a special world that has been ignored. Conley - you have made all Galapagos Guides very happy! ... Read more

Product Description
The book includes: * Plants organized within family groups * 214 color photographs and 51 original botanical drawings accompanying text * Details on 260 species 63 families * Simple explanations of botanical terms * Early California botanical history as it relates to specific plants * The cultural history of specific plants * Maps of the Santa Monica Mountains and suggested wildflower trips * Flowers indexed by color, name, and family * Also includes facts on Indian uses of plants, ancient medicinal practices, cultivation requirements for home gardening, and some recipes. --- from book's back cover ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Southern California Flora
I have found this to be the most useful wildflower book for coastal southern California.It serves me well from Ensenada, in Baja Californiato Nojoqui Falls, in Santa Barbara county.

This book has been my fieldguide, and notebook/palimpsest since 1995.

Other books I have, but don'trate 5 stars:Peterson's Pacific States Wildflowers; Coffeen's CentralCoast Wildflowers; Audubon's Field Guide to North American Wildflowers --Western Region. ... Read more

Product Description
Understanding the flowering plants of any region begins with the recognition of families. This remarkable volume, created to serve students, professionals, and other plant enthusiasts, covers 130 temperate to tropical families common in North America with detailed illustrations and modern referenced commentaries. Each family discussion includes a diagnosis and summary of characteristics, distribution data, important economic members, and pollination ecology. The book's most striking feature is Zomlefer's 158 original pen-and-ink plates depicting intricate dissections of 312 species.

The content of the family discussions is geared to readers who have completed one introductory biology course. For readers less familiar with botanical terminology, Zomlefer provides an illustrated glossary of 551 terms with more than 300 drawings. Other important tutorial features are twenty-two detailed charts that compare pertinent characteristics of certain related plant groups and a general chart that summarizes the salient features of the families covered in the text. Both amateurs and professionals will particularly enjoy the chapter on examining, dissecting, and sketching live material. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Excellent, but not for the beginner
This is the last word in botanical family id.

But the vocabulary is very dense, which makes Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary an essential adjunct to it.

Guide to Flowering Plant Families
The book is just fine ... that's why I ordered it ... it's a good book.

However, I thought I was buying the book USED at a less-than-new price.The price I actually paid was the new price.And I did receive a new book, thank you.

My question:Why didn't I pay for and receive the USED book that I wanted?I wonder if there is something in the ordering process that I missed.This is the first book order from amazon.

Great resource for a beginner
I got this book because I needed to learn about plants and I needed a no nonsense, basic introduction to the plant families of the world--not just trees, not just herbs, and not just information from one part of the world.This book is all that and more.The descriptions of each family use botanical terminology, there are clear line drawings of the taxonomically informative characters, and economically important species are listed in each family.Because I am not an expert on plants, I can't comment on the accuracy of the information, but I can say that this book has been a great resource for me, as a novice botanist.My only complaint (and this is a minor one, because this is not supposed to be a field guide) is that I am unfamiliar with many of the families and color photos would really help me to learn to recognize the plants in nature.I highly recommend this book.

Guide to Flowering Plant Families by Wendy B. Zomlefer [Paperback]
*****This should be a five star rating but something happened when I wrote the review so I can't change the star rating.Suffice it to say that this is a very comprehensive book with wonderful black and white illustrations.A very useful guide for students of botanical art or for anyone interested in plants.

Missing Families
Many floras and the USDA Plant Database use Cronquist's classification system.Several families in that system are missing in Thorne's system as used in this book.I would suggest supplementing this book with James Payne Smith's "Vascular Plant Families." ... Read more

Product Description

The definitive reference on flowering plants, thoroughly revised.

The widely acclaimed Flowering Plants of the World, the original edition of this book, has never been surpassed in its depth and scope. Written by a team of internationally recognized authorities, this thoroughly updated edition provides the latest information and solidifies the book's position as the definitive guide on the subject.

At the core of the book are the comprehensive entries on 504 flowering plant families. Each entry describes distribution, anatomy, habitat, classification and commercial uses. The enormous wealth of newly available taxonomic information, found throughout the pages of Flowering Plant Families of the World, will interest every botanist.

Along with hundreds of beautiful, meticulously detailed artworks, the book features:

• A complete introductory section about flowering plants
• Distribution maps and quick-reference panels
• An extensive illustrated glossary of specialist terms
• A comprehensive index with plant names in Latin and English.

The book's specially commissioned botanical illustrations by professional artists are remarkable for both their beauty and their scientific accuracy.

This definitive book, now completely updated, will remain a key reference for gardeners, botanists and plant professionals worldwide.

Customer Reviews (5)

flowering plant families of the world
This textbook is very interesting for me. Many informations such as plant classification in the world, plant illustration, plant description on the families level, the definition about plant etc. that i can get from this book.

A beautiful and comprehensive book with minor drawbacks
This is a massive book with large and beautiful illustrations. The information about the families includes distribution, major genera, number of species, morphological description, placement in the plant kingdom, intrafamilial classification and economic uses. Most of the family descriptions have also illustrations and references are given. The authors have adopted an approach to accept paraphyly in some cases.

However, there are some small drawbacks. The glossary does not contain the whole terminology used in the book. In the family descriptions, there are not few small errors, for example in the distributional information. In some cases the distribution of a given family in the map even differs from that in the text. There are this kind of small errors particularly in the descriptions written by V. H. Heywood. Also, I would have liked to find some basics of ecology of the families, but even pollination mechanism is mostly not given.

Must have for botanists
This is a must have for botany teachers and students. It is a complete and beautiful book, full of illustrations and the VERY useful distribution maps. It has current scientific information on families systematic and diagnostic characters. It is a helpful tool to teach Angiosperm diversity in University courses. It presents the APG II classification but the families are alphabetically arranged. Dicots and monocots are separated to facilitate the search. It also has a complete glossary with botanical terminology to facilitate the comprehension of the book. It is a great book for both specialists and botany aficionados alike.

A must have for anyone interested in plants!
This is an impressive, dense, fact-filled book with wonderful illustrations and distribution maps.It is as useful for plant biologists as it is for anyone else, whether you are interested in evolutionary relationships of plants, or just simply wondering where certain foods come from.Citations are acknowledged along with each family description for quick reference to the primary literature.

More than updated
The predecessor of this book, Flowering Plants of the World, was a well-known reference for decades to many who love plants. There is a strong sense of continuity between these two books, if for no other reason that both use the same illustrations. In fact the continuity goes further and also involves much of the contents, as evidenced by the error of zebrawood being supplied by a species of Connarus, a myth that was debunked in the 1940's.

Where the earlier book was based on the Cronquist system, with the plant families arranged by order, this book is (loosely) based on APG II (2003), with the plant families arranged by alphabet. As to recognition of families, this book adopts a splitter's philosophy, recognizing 506 families (versus 457 in APG II). The book recognizes families such as Bombacaceae, Cneoraceae, Sterculiaceae and Tiliaceae. The classification in this book will not be found in any other reference, but this splitter's policy may help the book retain its value in these times of constant change in plant classification. ... Read more

Product Description
A handy guide that uses flower structures, floral diagrams, and the floral formula technique to illustrate the elements common to the genera in more than 100 plant families native to North America or found here as introduced ornamental species. It is widely used both in the classroom and in the field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Now I Know !
Having a passion for plants I felt I needed to take it to the next level by being able to understand what I was really purchasing at garden nurseries.Most identifying tags on plants for sale list their family nameswhich I did not understand so I had no idea what I was really buying!Thisbook was easy to comprehend,making it easy for me to retain and use theinformation.This book has made me a more knowledgeable consumer not tomention that I can impress my friends! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good illustrated field guide for New Mexico plants
This book has a lot going for it though a few difficulties as well. The author has spent considerable time drawing a few thousand species all included in this home-published spiral bound book. The black and white illustrations are nicely rendered. Most species have a drawing of the plant, and a smaller illustration of the habitat, a state map with plant locations. Some species have smaller drawings of useful recognition characteristics. The book is ordered by plant families. There is very little text accompanying the plant descriptions, so the main aspect of this book are the black and white line illustrations, as there is no other information per plant.

There is a very rudimentary key for families along with a more specific one for the Asteraceae. The keys bring you to any number of pages where you might find an illustration of the plant. Basically you look up the family and thumb through the illustrations to try and find your plant. That's the crux of this book. While it is not inclusive of all New Mexico plants it has most of the commonly and less commonly encountered plants, making it a very useful book. You would be foolish not to have and use this book if you lived in New Mexico, especially considering there is no good flora. But even if there was, this would be an excellent addition. There is also interesting material in the beginning of the book about New Mexico plants plus an illustrated guide to New Mexico plant families and their characteristics. Accolades to Ivey for home publishing this very useful tome.

This book in its 3rd edition 1996, is still in print
Flowering Plants of New Mexico has gone through 3 editions in its 15 years and sold over 9000 copies.It is widely used by schools, and the nature loving public. In its third edition, it is still in print and will be untilthe next edition.It retails for $40 and can be obtained from R.D. Ivey,9311 Headingly Court NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87111. ... Read more

Product Description
A guide to plants which reproduce without bearing flowers, such as algae, fungi, lichens, mosses, liverworts, ferns, and gymnosperms. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great little guide
The little golden Guides started out with very basic subjects on bird and mammal identification, reptiles, rocks and minerals, the stars, and a few others back in the late 40s and early 50s. The line expanded greatly in the 60s and eventually included very specialized subjects such as structural geology (the book on Landforms), the book on The Heart, Spiders and Their Relatives, Insect Pests, Pond Life, and even books on hobbies such as Fishing, Cameras and Photography, and Guns.

This was probably the most advanced and specialized topic they ever did a book on, and given that it's only 256 pages in length, it's actually quite good. It covers all the cryptogamic or the spore-producing plant groups, which includes the better known fungi such as the well known club fungi or "toadstools," lesser known fungi such as ascomycetes, ferns, mosses, and liverworts. It's strongest on the club fungi, or basidiomycetes, which is fine.

Be aware that one book like this should not be used as a field identification manual in the case of fungi, since amistake there could be fatal, if you intend to consume them, due to the many poisonous species in the genus Amanita, and others such as Cortinarius and Galerina, which also contain potentially deadly species. The book's illustrations are also paintings and not photos, and for mushroom identification, photos are best, and the only sure way is to look at the spores under a microscope.

If you're intending to gather and eat mushrooms, real training under a skilled and experienced and knowledgeable expert is essential. You should join the mycology society in your area, such as the North American Mycological Society and learn from their experienced members on collecting trips before ever attempting to do this on your own. A number of deaths have occurred from people without adequate training trying to do this, and on my own collecting expeditions I occasionally saw people carrying poisonous mushrooms who said they were looking for psychedelic species, and fortunately I encountered them and was able to inform them of their mistake before they ate them.

But for educating yourself on a very specialized topic, this little book is a great place to start. Before doing that, however, I would read the Golden Guide, Botany, to get a general background on botany before tackling this area, unless you're already knowledgeablein botany.

Handy guide to mosses, ferns, mushrooms and lichens
This pocket-sized guide proves useful when identifying mushrooms, lichens, mosses and ferns.The full color illustrations and a short written description aid in identification.
There are newer guides out there, but this gets you started.I wouldn't use this to select mushrooms for eating, but it helped me identify a lichen I found this week (Red Crest Lichen).Now I know the difference between lichens and mosses which I'd previously lumped together.
I've started a moss garden, so I found the diagram of a moss' life cycle interesting. ... Read more

Product Description

The diverse external shapes and structures that make up flowering plants can be bewildering and even daunting, as can the terminology used to describe them. An understanding of plant form-plant morphology-is essential to appreciating the wonders of the plant world and to the study of botany and horticulture at every level. In this ingeniously designed volume, the complex subject becomes both accessible and manageable.The first part of the book describes and clearly illustrates the major plant structures that can be seen with the naked eye or a hand lens: leaf, root, stem, reproductive organs, and seedlings; special sections focus on vegetative propagation, and the morphology of grasses, orchids, and cacti. However, plants are dynamic organisms, constantly growing, changing, and becoming more elaborate, and understanding the development of a plant or plant part is as important as describing its final form. Part II focuses on how plants grow: bud development, the growth of reproductive organs, leaf arrangement, branching patterns, and the accumulation and loss of structures. This classic book, now revised and expanded to include the latest information on plant morphology, more than 1000 exquisite line drawings including 119 that are new to this edition, and nearly twice as many photographs as the previous edition, is remarkable for its user-friendly organization, high-quality illustrations, and extensive cross-referencing. Aimed at students of botany and horticulture, enthusiastic gardeners and amateur naturalists, it functions as an illustrated dictionary, a basic course in plant morphology, and an intriguing and enlightening book to dip into.

Customer Reviews (4)

Names for Plant Parts
A well produced, comprehensive book, thoroughly indexed, beautifully illustrated both by excellent coloured photos and perhaps even more valuably by superbly clear line drawings, throughout, and all at an amazing price for the value it contains. The aspiring expert will read this avidly from cover to cover in time and the amateur gardener will simply dip into it via the index for the explanation and meaning of specialised botanical terms. A book not to be missed and likely to sell out before the demand has been met. Postage for non-US recipients is a bit steep but the service is fast, careful and efficient. So full marks from us 'down under' in New Zealand. Thank you Amazon.com

One of the best botanical books.
Plant Form has been out of print for a long time, so I was excited to see it released as a new edition (2008).I have been wanting to get a copy of this book for a while, and was thoroughly impressed when I finally got my hands on the new edition.

Why have I been wanting to get a copy of this book for so long?

First; this book is unique in its approach describing flowering plant morphology (i.e., comparative anatomy) according to the "big picture."This book does not include the typical cellular structures and details typical of so many college textbooks on morphology.Instead, one is immersed in the vegetative characters one finds when actually walking up to a plant.This book focuses from the perspective of a hand lens all the way up to tree architecture.Plant Form is as required for to those interested in plant systematics as for those in plant ecology.

Second; the plants used for examples in this book are exceptional.This book is not a dry catergorization of plant parts; stems, leaves, ...No, this book includes examples of curiosities and odd-balls from all across the botanical world, which really serves to elucidate the subtleties of plant morphology.Many of these fascinating topics I have found only in specialized courses on tropical plant morphology, all of which lacked textbooks.

Third; Plant Form, while potentially useful for a specialized course in botany, is interesting to everyone.Literally, everyone.No formal or technical knowledge is necessary; no small feat as the science of botany is famous for its vast lexicon based on Latin and Greek.What really makes this book so interesting is its great drawings and photographs which immediately draws one into the diverse world of plants.Plant Form is one of the best coffee-table books around.

Case in point, it doesn't matter whether you are a professional botanist, amateur naturalist, avid gardener, or an artist who likes painting plants.You will love this book.
But if you are a professional or budding botanist, you need to get a copy.

As for problems with Plant Form, the only problem I have noticed is the omission of family names for the species mentioned in the text (family names are in the index). But this is really a trifling problem, barely worth mentioning. Great Book.

Illustrated compendium
"This book is intended [to provide an] attractive and workable compendium of flowering plant morphology ..." [quote from cover]. It certainly does this; in 341 pages richly illustrated with captivating colorphotographs and exquisite line drawings. An academic yet attractiveoverview of the immense variety of form that has evolved in Angiosperms.

First published in 1991, reprinted in 1993 (with corrections), reprinted1998. This last edition, compared to the 1991 original, is printed onslightly yellower paper and is a little more 'black' in print, taking awaysomething from the beauty of the photographs and the crispness of theprinted text.

I'm asking the auther about the new edition.
Dear Auther, I'm a Botanist in Egypt and I wanna buy your last edition of this book published by Oxford University Press but ther's nothing about its price or way to buy. magdy_gado@yahoo.com ... Read more

Product Description
This concise, user-friendly guide provides all the information necessary to identify the flowering plant families found in the wild or cultivated in northern temperate regions. Two hundred and eighty-six families are covered by the bracketed identification keys, which are accompanied by a comprehensive explanatory guide to their use. A fully illustrated discussion of floral structure and terminology precedes the keys and brief descriptions of the families (arranged according to the Engler and Prantl system) follow. A chapter giving advice on identification beyond the level of family, plus an annotated bibliography and glossary complete the volume. This new expanded edition features restructured morphology and terminology information, revised and improved keys, and more accessible and informative descriptions not found in previous editions. ... Read more

Product Description
Classic textbook first published in 1959 and updated in 1967, Taxonomy of Flowering Plants was created to provide a factual and simplified account of basic principles needed by beginning students in a course in taxonomy together with illustrated descriptions of more than a hundred families of flowering plants representative of the North American flora. The text assumes that the students have had some introduction to plant science. It is intended for undergraduate students in the study of agronomy, range management, forestry, wildlife management and conservation.The text is divided into three parts: Part I, dealing with historical and theoretical aspects and with terminology and morphology; Part II, dealing with orders and families of monocotyledons; and Part III, dealing with orders and families of dicotyledons. ... Read more

Product Description
The American tropics are home to almost one-third of the world's flowering plants. This is the definitive guide to this rich diversity of flora. Unique for its fabulous color illustrations and detailed descriptions, Flowering Plants of the Neotropics represents the work of 150 botanists and covers more than 280 families of plants known to occur in the Western Hemisphere between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

The expert text describes each family's features, diversity of genera and species, distribution, habitat, classification, botany, natural history, and economic uses. More than 300 color illustrations and 250 botanical line drawings illustrate these showiest of New World plants--flora that range from the deserts of Mexico and the coasts of Central America to the vast lowland rainforests of Amazonia and the cloud forests of the Andes. Some of the plants described are distributed widely; others inhabit only one of the many unusual microclimates and habitats that result from tropical America's incredible variation in elevation and rainfall and its millions of years of geological change.

Both beautiful and highly informative, this volume is an ideal reference for students, professional biologists, foresters, conservationists, tourists, and all who appreciate the form and color of flowering plants. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Overview
In its way, this has everything going for it. Compiled by the top specialists, printed on glossy paper, illustrated throughout with fine line-drawings and with a section of excellent color photographs. The color photographs are brought together in a single section in the middle of the book, and the quality has to be seen to be believed.

The down-side of this book (such as it is) is its format: it crams together basic information on an enormous amount of plant families in a single volume. It therefore is, of necessity, limited to broad outlines and offers an overview only. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

THE book on this important botanical illustrator
I have not been able to find a better book on this important botanical illustrator, and while this book is not itself a work of art, the art it depicts is something you will want to have in your collection of Florilegium (books on flowers before photography).

Botanic illustration is beautiful, and Ehret was one of the best for both his competence and for the creativity in his presentation and expression of beauty.

This is why the V&A has published this book.This important museum knew that a book on this fine botanic illustrator was sorely needed.

You will enjoy this art, and you will be able to do so with this fine tome. ... Read more

Product Description
With the able assistance of Thing 1 and Thing 2 -- and a fleet of Rube Goldbergian vehicles -- the Cat in the Hat examines the various parts of plants, seeds, and flowers; basic photosynthesis and pollination; and
seed dispersal.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Grandson loves this book!
Our grandson is really interested in flowers and gardening and thought this book would be of interest to him.He just LOVES it and enjoys reading it to his younger brother.Of course there are words he needs help with but he is only 6 but reads at a 3rd grade level, so this was a perfect choice!

Nothing is more enjoyable to a Grandma than giving a gift that a child can not only enjoy but learn from at the same time.Two thumbs up on this book!

Gardening with kids
We visit British Columbia every summer for our grandson's birthday. He'll be eight in July, and I'm taking this book for one of his gifts. Gardening is one of my passions, and I hope he'll learn the joy it can bring. This little book is loaded with helpful information - I learned a few things myself!

seed book Dr suess
This is a neat way with true Dr. Suess rhyme on how a seed becomes a plant.Fairly in depth but great layout and story to learn off of.

Oh Say Can You Seed?
This is a cute book for older elementary students, but adults can learn something from it as well.The information about basic botany is really accurate, and it is presented in an entertaining manner.

Love it!
Love this book!!It gives nonfiction science content in a Dr. Seuss format.Keeps the kids' interest while they learn science - excellent! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Best Wisconsin Flower Identification Book Around
This book has an amazing Key at the front, has great descriptions and is a pleasure to use

The best little key in my library
I've been using this simple key since I was a college student in Minnesota over forty years ago. Although I now own several large comprehensive keys, this is the first key I try, even though it may not be spring and I now live in Connecticut. It will usually send me quite easily at least to a family, probably to a genus, getting me through what might be the most annoying portion of my larger keys. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first comprehensive illustrated guide to thetrees, ferns, and flowering plants of the Tahoe Basin. Covering morethan 600 species, many of them rare, and with over 300 colorphotographs, here is the most complete and up-to-date wildflower guideavailable for this floristically rich region.

Michael Graf discusses native higher vascular plants: floweringplants, ferns and their allies, and conifers. He covers the Tahoeregion from Desolation Wilderness in the west to the Carson Range inthe east and includes Donner Lake and Pass, Sagehen Meadows, CastlePeak, Pole Creek, Shirley Canyon, Granite Chief, and Alpine Meadows inthe north; and Hope Valley and Carson and Luther Passes in thesouth. Each of these areas represents extensions of Tahoe Basin plantcommunities, and the entire region offers spectacular wildflowerviewing. The book is arranged taxonomically, thereby helping readers todevelop a basic understanding of plant families, genera, andspecies. Each species account includes size, bloom period, andpreferred habitat, and a full description follows, including clues foridentification, notes on where to view the plant, use by humans, andadditional ecological information. An introductory section discussesthe evolutionary principles of plant taxonomy and the geologic andclimatic history of the Tahoe Basin, its vegetative ecology, and itsenvironmental history from the time of the Washoe Indians to thepresent.

An appendix provides a family key, a glossary, and drawings of plantanatomy.Throughout the book, taxonomic information is based on the1993 edition of the Jepson Manual. With its clear descriptions,beautiful photographs, and information on everything from pollinationto conservation, this book should be in the backpack of anyone wholoves wildflowers, from amateur to professional field biologist.

"The reader could hardly be disappointed with this book. More thansimply a 'flower key,' it deftly describes each species and itsrequirements for survival in the high Sierra. In addition topresenting an impressive collection of spectacular photographs, Grafdescribes the myriad physical aspects of the Basin which control theflora's vitality, its evolution and its future. This is a wildflowerbook with the depth and richness that will satisfy Tahoe plant loversfor a long time to come." --Joseph L. Medeiros, Sierra College ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Best ever plant book
I have found this the best book for much more than the Tahoe Basin. It is better than any Yosemite guide for even south into the Ansel Adams Wilderness. It is actually fun to sit down and read, it is small enough to take back packing, it has trees, shrubs and flowering plants, and the photographs are clear. My only suggestion is for a more comprehensive index.

Plants of the Tahoe Basin
If you are looking for a specific nature book (on the flora (plants) of the Lake Tahoe (California) area, this is an excellent choice.

very useful and beautiful
WHile there are a number of flower books for the Sierra available, I found this one particularly useful because the plants are arranged by family so you can learn how to identify plants that are not in the range covered by the book.THe introductory section was also really informative and interesting.

A wonderful book full of wonder
Weekends in Tahoe are tons better with this book in tow.It is way cool to know the names of the gorgy plants and flowers with whom you are sharing your away-from-work time. I especially like being able to answer my two-year-old's question, "What's dat one momma," as he begins to take an interest in the names of the plant life surrounding him. A great gift for parents of children who go to Tahoe from time to time...or for anyone still young at heart/inquisitive enough to want to know more about Tahoe vegetation.

Plants of the Tahoe Basin: flowering plants, trees and ferns
Without a doubt, this is the best plant or flower book I have ever read.The author clearly knows Tahoe Basin vegetation and natural history like nobody else.The key is masterful in its simplicity, the pictures spectacular and the text brilliantly concise (and sometimes witty!).Youcan leave your tent, cell phone and coffee mug behind, but you must notforget Mr. Graf's book when going to Tahoe. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a basic introduction to twenty-five commonly occurring families of flowering plants, chosen for their economic, ornamental and ecological importance. It is designed to enable students of botany and related disciplines to gain some knowledge of the general characteristics of each family and also the relationships among them. An introductory section provides basic botanical information essential for a proper consideration of the families themselves. For each family, information on its distribution, classification, general features and economic importance precedes a detailed description of a typical representative species that will be useful to botanists and botany students. Illustrated throughout with clear and accurate line diagrams and accompanied by an extensive glossary. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent for serious students.
If you are a serious horticulture student, or botanist you must have this work.Excellent drawings, expert text, and great layout ensure it gets a lot use by me.I am an artist and actually use the expert line drawings for inspiration for my sculptural forms. ... Read more