Product Description
Kentucky is situated at a unique biological and geographical crossroads in North America. As a result, citizens and visitors to the state are greeted by an astonishing variety of magnificent wildflowers. This nontechnical guide—featuring more than five hundred dazzling full-color photographs by award-winning photographer Thomas G. Barnes—is the indispensable guide to the most common species of wildflowers and ferns in the Commonwealth.

The first to appear in thirty years, this guide references more than six hundred fifty species of flowers. High quality photographs and illustrations accompany each plant’s common and scientific name, plant family, habitat, frequency, and distribution throughout Kentucky. Organized by flowering season, color, and habitat, Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky is an essential addition to the library or field pack of the botanist and all nature enthusiasts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky
this book meets my exact need in a field guide for this region. It provides excellent photos and essential ID facts. For a thorough knowledge base I have to do further research elsewhere, but this book is the gateway for seeing and knowing on site for these plants. ... Read more

Product Description
128 color photographs, more than 1,000 line drawings, 2 mapsIn the spirit of the avid desert botanist Willis Linn Jepson, The Jepson Desert Manual provides botanical enthusiasts of all backgrounds with the first comprehensive field guide focused exclusively on native and naturalized vascular plants of California's southeastern deserts. Based on The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California, the Desert Manual incorporates new illustrations for more than two hundred desert taxa, revised keys to identification, updated distributional information, and 128 color photographs. This guide will allow easier identification of California's fascinating desert plants than would be possible in a manual with broader geographic coverage.As in The Jepson Manual, detailed descriptions and illustrations of plant characteristics are provided, along with information on native versus alien status, habitats, elevation, endangerment, toxicity, weed status, horticultural requirements, and flowering times. Introductory sections on the desert setting and vegetation offer the reader a broad context and new perspectives for appreciating the more than twenty five hundred plant species included in the Manual. For amateur and professional botanists alike, the Desert Manual will prove to be an invaluable companion in California's spectacular Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, and southern Great Basin environments, including the White Mountains. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Jepson Desert Manual
It is a complicated way to identify wildflowers and more suited to scholars as opposed to me, a true beginner.

Complete and Thorough
This book is the most complete book I've come across in terms of covering all the plants which I may encounter in the California deserts. I have eight desert plant books in all and I look at this one as the ultimate authority when it comes to identifying a plant. It's not the most easy book to use, but that's because it attempts to cover every native plant found in the desert. Some plant identification books strive for ease of use at the expense of completeness, the goal of this book is completeness. It is extremely well organized, but it is a bit technical for most people. The drawings are good and there is a limited number of color photographs. I consider this book an indispensable reference when it comes to desert plants with the Munz book "California Flora" being the only higher authority I know of. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excelente opción para amantes de la naturaleza!
Para todos aquellos que busquen opciones para conocer las plantas herbáceas que habitan el noreste de México, esta es una de las mejores obras que pueden encontrar, tiene magníficas imágenes y textos muy sencillos, que aunque están en ingles la terminología es bastante simple.

A good field guide
Field Guide to the Broad-Leaved Herbaceous Plants of South Texas: Used by Livestock and Wildlife

The photographs are excellent, clear and make it easy to identify plants. I am just a land owner interested in finding out what is growing on my property. I am in a wildlife management program and want to learn which plants are native and which are introduced. Also which plants are beneficial to the wildlife. The data given for each plant is sometimes too scientific for my purposes. However enough of it is very useful.I recommend this book for lay persons like myself or even people with a bit more scientific interests.

Much-Needed Photographs of Rapidly Disappearing Plants
A must-have for every library in south Texas. This well-organized book fills a large gap in reference material about vegetation which remains undisturbed on less than 95% of south Texas' landmass. Placement of photosand construction of keys make this an excellent introductory text forstudents of botany. It's the first volume I can recommend to junior-highand high school teachers as a "user-friendly" approach to keyingsouth Texas herbs. Lots of south Texas plants remain unmentioned here,however. Let us not assume that they are nonnative or without "use tolivestock and wildlife." ... Read more

Product Description
For gardeners who want to conserve water, the color, fragrance, shade, and lush vegetation of a traditional garden may seem like a mirage in the desert. But such gardens can flourish when native plants grow in them. In this book, Judy Mielke, an expert on Southwestern gardening, offers the most comprehensive guide available to landscaping with native plants. Writing simply enough for beginning gardeners, while also providing ample information for landscape professionals, she presents over three hundred trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, groundcovers, wildflowers, cacti, and other native plants suited to arid landscapes. The heart of the book lies in the complete descriptions and beautiful color photographs of plants native to the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan desert regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Mielke characterizes each plant and gives detailed information on its natural habitat, its water, soil, light, temperature, and pruning requirements, and its possible uses in landscape design. In addition, Mielke includes informative discussions of desert ecology, growing instructions for native plants and wildflowers, and "how-to" ideas for revegetation of disturbed desert areas using native plants. She concludes the book with an extensive list of plants by type, including those that have specific features such as shade or fragrance. She also supplies a list of public gardens that showcase native plants. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Very Informative
Great pictures and write-ups on southwestern native plants ... what each prefers and how to use in landscaping.Highly recommend.

false info
The information in this book on many of the plants listed in it is incorrect. If you try to use the names given you will not be able to find them. Cross referece is a must if you intend to use this book in thebuisness.

Great, useful book on southwest native plants
Lots of useful detail about native habitats of hundreds of plants.Many, many photographs.Suggestions for landscape use.

Very helpful!
Living in the higher elevations of the Western Mojave Desert presents unique opportunities (read: problems)in landscaping. The full color photos, the environmental requirements, and, especially, the cold tolerance of eachplant helped us choose plants which would not only survive, but prosper inour area. Many thanks to the author.

Worth it for the photos alone
This book is outstanding for including a color photo of a full-grown specimin of each plant described.Entries include plant culture and details of its natural range.The listing of native plant sources at theback is pretty comprehensive, at least for Arizona. In addition to theplant listing, there are some short chapters on growing natives, and achapter on wildflowers. ... Read more

Product Description
Wildflower lovers across Georgia know Hugh and Carol Nourse through their popular slide lectures. Countless other enthusiasts have seen their glorious wildflower photographs in books and magazines. Here the Nourses draw on years of travel around the state to share their favorite places for seeing wildflowers. Of the many walks the Nourses have taken, these are the ones they return to most often because of the density or the unusual nature of the floral display. All twenty of these wildflower walks are on public land; everything you need to know about how to find them and what to do once you're there is included.

Five walks are presented from each of Georgia's four geographic regions: Cumberland Plateau/Ridge and Valley (northwestern Georgia); Blue Ridge (northeastern Georgia); Piedmont (Georgia foothills and fall line); and Coastal Plain (all of Georgia below the fall line). For each walk, a scenic photo gives a hint of the locale's overall character. In addition, five of the wildflowers encountered on the walk are profiled with a photograph and a detailed description. All of the wildflowers on these walks are native to Georgia. A few are rare and endangered.

Coverage of each walk includes directions and a trail map plus information about:

- flowering season

- peak flowering period

- flower habitats

- walk length and difficulty

- restroom availability

- applicable fees

Common plant names are used in the main text; the index lists both common and scientific names. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Favorite Wildflower Walks in Georgia
An excellent product.One of the most helpful wildflower books I have ever purchased.Thorough descriptions and beautiful pictures. ... Read more

Product Description
This book presents the most extensive general review of the pitcher plants of the Americas yet undertaken - it is a substantive overview of the systematics, biology, ecology, biogeography, and conservation of the five genera of American pitcher plants (s.l.), including three genera of true pitcher plants (Darlingtonia, Heliamphora, and Sarracenia) and two genera of carnivorous tank bromeliads (Brocchinia, Catopsis). Here is information about some 45 species, hybrids, and cultivars, consolidated and presented in detail, along with more than 200 spectacular color photographs. This beautiful and informative study of these alluring plants will be appreciated by a wide audience of naturalists, botanists, ecologists, biogeographers, resource managers, and horticulturalists - among others! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

The prize of my library
Stewart McPherson has managed to produce a work which is authoritative, brilliant and informative and has done so in style. Moreover, he didn't stop there. This book is one of several written by him. He has written several others, including Lost Worlds of the Guiana Highlands, Glistening Carnivores and Pitcher Plants of the Old World - Nepenthes and Cephalotus.

All of these books are first class and any serious Carnivorous Plant grower or hobbyist should definitely have them!

Great Natural History and Photos
Great book for both photography and natural history reports of the North American pitcher plants.Wonderful photos of these plants in their natural habitats.Detailed reports of the natural history of all species, especially Heliamphora.This book's focus is on these plants in their evnironments and includes detailed range maps for all species.

Stunning photos, well researched, my favorite ever!
Finally - a book that introduces the genus Heliamphora in all its glory.This is really the first book to do them justice.It includes dozens of stunning photos, morphology and habitat descriptions, fascinating analysis of trapping mechanisms, speculation about the environmental conditions that lead to the forms and the distribution of present day species, as well as some tentative discussion of the relationship between the three genera.Two minor disappointments - no mention of the new fossil discovery of an ancient member of the Sarracenia family from China (Archaeamphora), and no photos of Heliamphora sarracenioides, which it seems might be one of the more important species discovered in the last decade.I suspect both discoveries occurred too late to be incorporated because the book is otherwise quite thorough (and these new discoveries leave me hoping for a revised edition in the future)."Pitcher Plants of North America" is now by far my favorite carnivorous plant book ever.

Pitcher Plants of the Americas
Pitcher Plants of the Americas by Stewart McPherson is a very nice addition to any carnivorous plant enthusiast's library. It is very well written and easy to understand. The photography is spectacular. This book will give one a better understanding of the pitcher plants native to North and South America.

A first-rate field guide
British geographer, researcher, and conservationist Stewart McPherson presents Pitcher Plants of the Americas, a lavish overview of the five genera of carnivorous pitcher plants in North, Central, and South America. Featuring stunning color photography of virtually every species, enhanced by the high-quality paper of the text, Pitcher Plants of the Americas describes species, their ranges, and their unique features in clear language that is not excessively technical. A first-rate field guide and welcome contribution to natural history reference shelves, sure to fascinate both general readers and horticulture specialists. ... Read more

Product Description
Here is the definitive botanical guide to the wetlands, woodlands, coastlines, hills, and valleys of the San Francisco Bay Region. For this extensively revised and redesigned edition of Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region, the identification keys have been improved and line drawings scattered throughout the text, ensuring that this popular book will continue to be the most comprehensive and authoritative identification guide to the region's native and introduced plants.

o Easy-to-use keys describe more than two thousand species of wildflowers, trees, shrubs, weeds, and ferns

o Exceptionally clear illustrations include 457 color photographs and 227 line drawings

o Plants are identified by both common and scientific names, making this guide an essential resource for amateur naturalists, students, and professionals ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

needs to be more organized for non scientific person
So far i am trying to figure out how to find the cross references to the pictures and plant discriptions. the flowers should be organized according to color.

A nice buy for both beginners and advanced student of botany
The book is mostly composed of dichotomous keys with a good section of very nice photographs of most commonly encountered plants, covering many genera. It is a sizable book for the field and covers the SF Bay Area really well. The only thing I have to complain is that is doesn't have species descriptions and more pictures, but these are probably out of the scope of this book. It is a great buy and I do highly recommend it.

An excellent reference book for the Bay Area.
If you're into plant identification and you live in the Bay Area, this book is essential.Many of the keys are far easier than Jepson or Munz, and there is the enormous benefit that plants that don't grow in the Bay Area aren't there in the key to confuse you.

People who use this book should know that it is in some ways a work in progress.I took a class with Ms. Beidleman in 2006 and she frequently told us to cross out or re-word certain passages in the keys that were misleading.I don't think she has an estimate for when a new edition may come out--it could be a ways off.

Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region: Mendocino to Montere
This books is essential to botanists in the San Francisco Bay Area!For both the experienced and the amateur, this book is a useful guide to identifying common plant species of the region.Much more concise andspecialized than the Jepson Manual, plant identification has gone from atime consuming chore to sheer pleasure.Brilliant color plates addinterest and aide in identification.Authors Kozloff and Beidleman haveextracted the best aspects of botany texts to create a San Francisco BayArea biologist's dream! ... Read more

Product Description
Admired by plant enthusiasts, botanists, and nature lovers of all ages, wildflowers comprise one of the most beloved—and diverse—groupings of flora in South Carolina. Although relatively small in size, the Palmetto State hosts a remarkable variety of wildflower species, from the trillium and bloodroot that brighten its forests to heliotrope and common toadflax that dot the state's roadsides and fields. With color photographs (all by Richard D. Porcher) and extensive descriptions of more than 680 species, A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina offers a complete and indispensable reference for finding and appreciating these natural treasures.

Employing the same innovative approach Richard D. Porcher used in Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry, he and Douglas A. Rayner simplify the task of identification by grouping species according to habitat. For each species identified, the authors include interesting facts—many not widely known or readily available—about rarity, suitability for garden cultivation, and origin of common and scientific names.

Of added interest, the botanists share itineraries for more than fifty wildflower expeditions and short essays on a variety of topics, including carnivorous plants, Carolina bays, native orchids, medicinal plants and folk remedies, poisonous plants, edible plants, and the role of fire in natural communities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A wonderful guide book.
As a naturalist guide in the "Low Country" of South Carolina I have found this book and invaluable resource.I use it not only for plant identification but greatly benefit from the anecdotal description of each plant, its use, and at times its importance to South Carolina culture and history.Buy it, read it, inwardly digest it.

Excellent guide to SC native plants and their habitats
As a flower gardener new to the South I was looking for more information to help me make smart plant choices for the climate.I learned about this book in a native plant seminar and it is a wonderful reference as it teaches not only about the plants but the native communities where they florish in nature.This is helpful as I attempt to be conscious of my water usage and to do my "green" duty as a homeowner and gardener.

A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina
Well written.I especially like the habitat by habitat treatment.Sure, many of the plants are found in more than one of the habitats included, but the general notion of habitat is helpful.

Most of the photographs are excellent, and the print quality is above average.

Very Informative
I took a class this summer and one of the Text we used was the Guide to Wildflowers of South Carolina.This book is very informative and gives many different topics for each plant listed.Later I met Dr. Porcher and he really knows his stuff.

Beautiful WildFlowers in The Country
My husband and I moved to the country,living on 5acres surrounded by woods.We have all kinds of beautiful wildflowers growing here.A guild to wildflowers in s.c.has helped us to identify alot of these flowers.what a wonderful book to have around.Its just full of helpful information on these plants. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is a unique and stunning guide to the beautiful wildflowers of Western Australia. Lavishly photographed in full color throughout, it features photographs and brief descriptions of 755 species found in the popular southern region. Each species is cross-referenced to simple maps for quick and easy reference to localities. This third edition has been thoroughly revised and updated. The introduction by Alex George gives a descriptive overview of the main vegetation regions of the State. Compiled by distinguished professionals in the field of botany, in conjunction with Monash University, "Wildflowers of Southern Western Australia" is an excellent addition to the reference library of professional and amateur wildflower enthusiasts alike. The book is intended for all those who enjoy the unique, diverse flora of W.A. The majority of species illustrated were found on roadsides, many in National Parks and reserves, accessible by conventional vehicle. Wherever possible technical botanical terms have been avoided except where precision or brevity necessitate their use; a glossary is provided to cover these terms. ... Read more

Product Description
This guide is intended to help both amateur naturalists and serious field botanists to identify non-woody plants - herbaceous weeds and wildflowers - as they are found in winter in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Beautifully organized and illustrated
This book is very intelligently organized. Ms. Levine chose to order the identification keys in a manner that would be most helpful, rather than strictly by botanical taxonomy. This makes sense given that the winter remains of plants do not track their taxonomy. The illustrations are also a joy just to look at. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Good clean images
Good assortment. Nice clean black lines. Very realistic illustrations. Easy to use for artwork. Worth having in a clip art library.

Plant & Flowers: 1761 Illustrations
This is a truly wonderful publication which will provide simply hours and hours of enjoyment.It arrived in excellent condition and very fast delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
First issued in 1957 by Swallow Press, this classic guide to the art of plant identification is now familiar to an entire generation of students. Harrington who was Professor of Botany and Curator of the Herbarium at Colorado State University, gives step-by-step instructions and definitions to help readers recognize and classify plants. The new printing has been reset and reformatted, and L.W. Durrell's drawings and glossary—more than 500 images—have been digitally enhanced for clarity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Plant Identification Guide
The guide is a bit old but goes over basic plant morphology with simple sketches. The book is very systematic and comprehensive. The book should still be of great value to beginning botanists.

Not exactly what I expected
This book has very detailed descriptions and definitions of the parts of plants used to make an identification, but does not provide an easy way to identify an unknown plant.

How to Identify Plants
Very helpful for reviewing terms that are used in taxonomic literature devoted to plant identification.

a great book for amateurs and experts alike
I really liked this book and found it very reader-friendly and helpful. So it is not the newest book on the shelves, but that doesn't mean it is not a realiable and very useful resource. I had to buy this book for a class and never sold it back. Since that class I have used countless other guides on the same subject and when friends ask me what is a good starter guide book, with no hesitation I reply with How to Identify Plants by H.D. Harrington. Even today I still go back and reference it when using other field guides. This book sould be in every botanist's collection and makes a great starter for beginners.

Does the job -- but there are better books available
From the copyright date, this book was written in the fifties.The quality of the black and white photos is consistent with this guess, as isthe rather pedantic style. There are also chapters on the structure of thenomenclature system, which is probably already well-known by most of thelikely readers, and on how to collect plants, which may not be a good ideathese days, at least for the rarer species.

For $6 more, I'd go for thesimilar book by James/Melinda Harris.More focussed; better illustrations;less pedantic style. ... Read more

Product Description
Gardeners who are intrigued by the possibilities of native plants will find this treatment of seed collection and germination — from native annuals to trees — an invaluable resource.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent, useful info. Worth the wait to get it.
Excellent source of info on seed germination
applicable to the novice and expert.
What I liked best were the succinct
pretreatment and planting directions for a
wide variety of trees and shrubs.

I also found the information on collecting
and storing seeds immediately useful and
valuable. ... Read more

Product Description
The first book to demonstrate how plants originally considered harmful to the environment actually restore Earth’s ecosystems and possess powerful healing properties

• Explains how invasive plants enhance biodiversity, purify ecosystems, and revitalize the land

• Provides a detailed look at the healing properties of 25 of the most common invasive plants

Most of the invasive plant species under attack for disruption of local ecosystems in the United States are from Asia, where they play an important role in traditional healing. In opposition to the loud chorus of those clamoring for the eradication of all these plants that, to the casual observer, appear to be a threat to native flora, Timothy Scott shows how these opportunistic plants are restoring health to Earth’s ecosystems. Far less a threat to the environment than the cocktails of toxic pesticides used to control them, these invasive plants perform an essential ecological function that serves to heal both the land on which they grow and the human beings who live upon it. These plants remove toxic residues in the soil, providing detoxification properties that can help heal individuals.

Invasive Plant Medicine demonstrates how these “invasives” restore natural balance and biodiversity to the environment and examines the powerful healing properties offered by 25 of the most common invasive plants growing in North America and Europe. Each plant examined includes a detailed description of its physiological actions and uses in traditional healing practices; tips on harvesting, preparation, and dosage; contraindications; and any possible side effects. This is the first book to explore invasive plants not only for their profound medical benefits but also with a deep ecological perspective that reveals how plant intelligence allows them to flourish wherever they grow.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Must Read!
This is a must read book for anyone interested in herbal medicine or nature restoration. The whole idea of "invasive" plants is a cultural construct, another example of humans manipulating nature, often to our own detriment. Many plants considered "invasive" are potent healers, both of humans and the earth. As Scott explains, these plants move into disturbed areas and heal the earth. Often, they remain strong for several years until other plants can gain a foothold. The really important issue is: Why are these areas disturbed in the first place? The answer is: Because human activities cause disturbance. It's not a secret that millions of acres of prairie land have disappeared to make way for crops. But the 9000-pound elephant in the room is chemicals: pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Not only do they make our food, water and air toxic, but they kill the soil. We fail to look under the ground and see what's taking place outside of our immediate vision. Fungi form mutual relations with plant and tree roots and nourish the soil. Chemical companies are destroying life above and below ground. Scott shows that "invasive" plants can clean up some of the toxins and heal the soil, making our food, air and water safer. Unfortunately, due to our lazy and unnatural dependence on chemicals, we aren't looking seriously for alternative solutions to agricultural practices. Scott also draws attention to the parallels in the rhetoric used for both nature and human society: verbal attacks against "invasive" plants mimic those against immigrants. The mentality is the same: We don't want those foreigners on our land. Well, nature does not recognize political boundaries, and zenophobia has no place in either society or nature.

Learn how to restore natural balance in enviroment and body
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (09/10)

Most societies, especially Western, consider "weeds" as invasive and in some areas, by law, must be removed.For example, the Canada Thistle is considered invasive in Canada and farmers must spray herbicides to kill it or be subjected to harsh fines.Yet, in some parts of the United States it isn't considered an invasive plant.

Timothy Lee Scott, an herbalist and acupuncturist, gives us an in-depth look into the various plants that have entered into our ecosystem. Most of these come from Asia and are considered medicinal in traditional healing there.Yet, once discovered here in the United States, it is considered a weed.Scott addresses issues such as: politics, science of invasions and herbicidal impacts, as well as areas such as ecology, chemistry, and treatment use.

For example, Thistle (aka Canada thistle, California thistle, bull thistle, spear thistle) has "been used in numerous herbal traditions...for thousands of years. The most famous of these is the use of milk thistle as a potent medicinal for liver health and detoxification." (p. 289) He also claims that the "expansive thistles and their seeds make a good substitute for milk thistle."

For each invasive that Scott lists, he adds information about the plant, its description, collection and habitat, medicinal uses, plant chemistry, pharmacological actions, scientific studies, ecological importance, harvesting and preparing, dosage, cautions/contraindications, herb/drug interactions, and references.

"Invasive Plant Medicine" is very thorough and indicates that author Scott did extensive research into this subject.I appreciated the colored pictures of the invasives in the center of the book, and the illustration of each plant in the content area.I encourage readers to think about our environment and accept the medicinal uses of "invasive" plants because indeed they may not be as invasive as some expect us to think they are.In order to sustain a healthy planet we must eliminate the use of harmful chemicals to destroy plants that are beneficial for our health and well-being.

I commend Scott in giving us to become friendly with invasives."Invasive Plant Medicine" is not only a keeper, but a healer. ... Read more

Product Description
A tree that sheds poison daggers; a glistening red seed that
stops the heart; a shrub that causes paralysis; a climbing
plant that strangles; and a leaf that triggered a war.
Bestselling author Amy Stewart takes on two hundred of
Mother Nature’s most appalling creations in an A to Z of
plants that kill, maim, intoxicate and otherwise offend.
Menacing botanical illustrations render a ghastly portrait
of evildoers that may be lurking in your back (or front)
garden. Drawing on history, medicine, science and legend,
this compendium of bloodcurdling botany will entertain,
enlighten and alarm even the most intrepid gardeners and
nature lovers.
... Read more

Product Description
Based on the near-legendary Agriculture Handbook 450, one of the most useful sourcebooks ever published by the U.S Forest Service. ... Read more

Product Description
This heavily illustrated volume will prove a blessing to every aquarium hobbyist who has had to settle for superficial plant descriptions in general fish-keeping books. It presents a detailed A-to-Z directory covering hundreds of aquarium plants with high quality color photos and succinct profiles of each plant. Information includes the plant’s common name, botanical designation, growth cycle, and general description. The book’s additional sections offer details on how to grow and propagate aquatic plants, and how to protect them from parasites and other problems. This handsome volume features approximately 450 color photos and illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Title is Misleading
If you're just starting a planted tank this book is for you. There is a lot of general information but not as much advanced info as I would have liked. It would have been nice to see a better breakdown of specific tank types ( Dutch, Amano, etc ), and the equipment and fertilization schedules used. All in all it does contain quite a bit of useful information for the beginner to novice aquarist. To call it an encyclopedia of any sort is a huge stretch.

Great book
I would say it has all the information you need about planted aquariums. It is very understandable and easy to read, not to mention that it continues also basic information on how to setup a tank. Maybe you can ask for more detail pictures but is not that necessary.

Excellent 1st Book on Aquarium Plants
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for general information about aquarium plants. It covers the basic in a clear, consise way, using images whenever possible to illustrate what is being explained. The book' structure is logical and simple to follow, and pretty much anything you need to know to get started is covered.

The only minor complaint I might have is on the aquascaping chapter. The author uses drawings to explain various projects, where high-quality pictures would have been preferable, or, even better, both. Not a big deal at all, but its just that the real impact of aquascaping cannot be conveyed adequately through drawings in my opinion. And so it's hard to foresee how the author's suggested scapes would look in reality.

Highly recommended for beginners.

Excellent resource
This book has wonderful photos, diagrams, drawings and pictures of various kinds of aquariums.Lots of information about water chemistry and plant functions and about specific plants.Plenty of fish recommendations
as well.Very, very good resource for aquarium hobbyists.

Outstanding!
I purchased this book to learn some up to date info on freshwater aquarium plants in hopes of creating some biotope style aquariums. I have been an aquarist for 45 years and have owned my own aquarium store back in the 70s. Once receiving the book and just glancing through it I was completely amazed at not only its excellent treatment of the main subject but also the abundance of fantastic info on practically all aspects of setting up & maintaining a successful aquarium. If anyone is just starting out with aquariums & wanted to buy just one book about the subject I would suggest they buy this book. You will not be disappointed! ... Read more

Product Description
This guide, covering 1,505 species of wildflowers, groups flowers by color and plant characteristics for easy matching of pictures with specimens. With descriptions facing the more than 1,500 illustrations, all the information you need can be seen at a glance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Aout time
For decades I've tried to use the old Eastern Flowers Guide which is great as long as you live on the East coast but when you move inland (like Oklahoma)...well...My old guide was shot and needed updating so I went online and was surprised to see this book out!WOW!Now the rest of the U.S. needs good guides as well.

The handiest pocket guide to flowers of the SW USA
According to ecologist Paul R. Ehrlich, "In this century, no one has done more to promote an interest in living creatures than Roger Tory Peterson, the inventor of the modern field guide." Peterson's "Guide to the Birds" - "the first modern field guide" - was published in 1934. Its pioneering approach relied on the use of visual characters rather than technical descriptions to identify species. This was achieved by grouping similar species together on a plate, using clear, two-dimensional illustrations, and pointers to key field marks as well as succinct text, a combination known as the Peterson Identification System. That revolutionary style was later applied to a host of field guides covering anything from the night sky to moths and geology to mushrooms and including the present volume.

"Southwestern and Texas Wildflowers" is Number 31 in the Peterson Field Guide Series, published in 1984 and still in the original edition. The format will, of course, be very familiar to all who have ever held or used a Peterson Field Guide - and to those it will probably be self-recommending. This volume treats 1,505 species found in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. Over 1,500 illustrations are provided, some in colour, but the majority as clear line-drawings. The succinct text for each species is conveniently set opposite the plate depicting the plant.

Clearly this guide cannot and does not attempt to be a comprehensive guide to the flora of the region. However, I have found it to be an indispensable guide on my travels to Texas and Arizona. Personally, I much prefer the concise, densely packed format of the Peterson Field Guides to the newer photographic guides, of which there is now a plethora. However, beginners often seem to prefer the latter. In that case, a handy alternative for Texas might be Tull & Miller's "Wildflowers, Trees and Shrubs of Texas" which treats 600 species or, for Arizona, Epple and Epple's "Plants of Arizona" which covers 850 species.

Not Very Useful For This Novice
This book seems to be a Southwestern and Texas version of Newcomb's Wildflower Guide - though the organization is different as this one is organized based on color (with B&W drawings?).Descriptive information is pretty much the same as well as the drawings - the vast majority of which are in black and white - and the color ones don't have enough detail to help much with identification - at least not for this beginner. ... Read more

Product Description
A true cornucopia, The New Oxford Book of Food Plants overflows with information and is packed with beautiful, hand-painted illustrations of the worlds food plants. In an oversized format with alternating full-page color plates, readers will find a feast of facts about cereals, sugar crops, oil seeds, nuts, legumes, fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, sea-weeds, mushrooms, wild food plants, and much more. This new edition is fully updated with the latest nutritional research, as well as beautiful new illustrations and descriptions of many exotic edible plants that have only recently found their way into our markets and onto our kitchen tables.

This is the most comprehensiveand most appealing reference book available on the many edible plants we grow in our gardens, buy in our shops, and eat with great relish. For example, readers will find authoritative coverage of fruit worldwide, both the varieties we commonly find at our local food stand (apples, oranges, strawberries, kiwi, bananas), and some we do not ordinarily see (mangosteen, manzanilla, marang, tamarind, or whortleberry). Entries typically discuss the source and history of a plant, how it is prepared for market, and how it is used as food. And in addition to covering everything from seaweeds to tropical root crops, the editor has included a glossary of botanical terms, a section on nutrition and health, nutrition tables, a list of recommended readings, and an index.

With marvelous illustrations and a wealth of nutritional, historical, and other information, The New Oxford Book of Food Plants belongs on the shelf of everyone who loves to garden, to cook, and to eat healthily.Amazon.com Review
Not enough tables of contents are enhanced by drawings ofnuts, herbs, and root vegetables, but the table of contents in TheNew Oxford Book of Food Plants is, setting the tone for a bookthat clearly delights in the glories of the world's bounty. Eachchapter, including grain crops and fruits, spices and seaweed, legumesand mushrooms among its 19 topics, is a cornucopia of information andbeautiful, educational illustrations. Take the chapter on oil crops,for example. Covering olives, sesame, peanuts, soy beans, sunflowers,and the rape plant, the prose describes where they grow and what thefruits look like, what kind of oil is produced and what it's used for,how it's made and how else the fruits may be used. Color drawings ofthe plants and their fruits are on the facing page. Put together bywriters who respect each plant and give them the attention and detailthat spell quality, this is a beautiful book and a charmingresource. --Stephanie Gold ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Wonderful Book, a joy to read even without reading!
I bought this book on a recommendation by The Scientist.It does a great job of describing the matter and the pictures are beautiful.It makes learning about plants fun.

wonderful
I love being able to actually see the evolution of a plant food from its beginnings, all the way to my plate. This book is a fantastic resource for plant foods and full of thorough information. Love it!

great gift, reference, and coffee table book
The original edition of this book was out of print for some years and it is delightful to see it out again, and expanded no less. It combines 2 great virtues: highly readable and informative text with illustrations of a quality that are "suitable for framing." It is a great book for anyone who takes an interest in botany, cooking, or gardening and you couldn't go wrong giving it as a gift to one of these types. It's also great for reference. If you're getting it as a gift I suggest ordering 2, because you'll want one for yourself when you see it.

Excellent for learning about food plants from all over.
This book is great for learning to identify food plants from all over the world.The illustrations are realistic and each plant is described.I use it to help my 4-H horticulture judging team prepare for the nationaljudging contest.The plants and illustrations in this new edition are thesame as in the original book, however the 1998 edition has an excellentsection on phytonutrients. ... Read more

Product Description
Medicinal Plants of the World is a comprehensive and scientifically accurate guide to the best-known and most important medicinal plants, including those of special commercial or historical interest. The book aims to conceptualise this rapidly expanding field of study and includes:

--Descriptions of more than 300 medicinal plants and their close relatives. Each entry gives a short summary with the following information: a description of the plant, the geographical origin, therapeutic category, historical and modern uses, active ingredients and pharmacological effects.

--More than 500 full-colour photographs that will assist in the identification of the plants and related or similar plants.

--Introductory chapters on various healing cultures of the world, general concepts, common ailments and their treatment with modern phytomedicines and with traditional remedies and the study of active compounds and their pharmacological effects.

--A quick guide and checklist of all the most important and well known medicinal plants of the world, listed according to scientific name but giving the common names, family name, region of origin, therapeutic category, and plant parts used. Also included is a glossary of medical and related terms.

The book will appeal to both laypersons and those with a professional interest in medicinal plants. It is an essential reference guide for health care professionals---doctors, nurses and especially pharmacists---or anyone with an interest in medicinal plants and their uses. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Very good photos!
The photos are really very helpful to identify the plants. Often you realize that plants you know and see everyday are usable herbs.
The book is very systematically. It is not the type of herb books that tells that herbs can do everything and it is not very enthusiastic about herbs, but I find it most usfull.

Informative and thorough
"Medicinal Plants of the World" strikes a wonderful balance between being exhaustive and too cursory, the book reviews the medicinal properties of approximately 300 plants and discusses some proposed mechanisms of action.Importantly, it carefully points out that there still is a large knowledge gap and that we know very little how these plants exert the effects.The authors point out that, in contrast to standard pharmaceutical treatments, plants contain a large number of different chemicals that may have an effect in combination, which cannot be fully understood based on the properties of each individual chemical.Lastly, the photos are of good quality and are helpful in identifying the plant in the "wild".One aspect that would have been useful for the relative novice is to provide a quick guide to identifying these plants using the botanical characteristics (leaves etc.) of the plants.

Fabulous
Great reference.Not only informative and pictorial (photos), but also a good reference to medicinal uses for ailments in the back and secondary metabolites and their effects. Great inclusion for the library :-)

Excellent reference
Excellent color photographs, sufficient to identify the medicinal plants in the wild, along with an very good overview of medicinal chemistry and uses of medicinal plants makes this book a "must have" for people interested in pharmacognosy. An excellent value for the cost.

Hluhlwe-Imfolozi, South Africa
On 10 July 2005, I purchased the original hardback version, as published by Briza in Pretoria (in the bookshop attached to the Game Park at Hluhlwe-Imfolozi [pronounced 'Shosoolayzee-Imfolozee'] north of Durban). Among all the guides to phytology and botanical chemistry that I own, I have found van Wyk's beautifully-illustrated reference to be the most honest regarding side effects, as well as the best 'first reference' to regional applications of various herbs throughout the world. The attached appendices (viz. "Overview of Secondary Metabolites and their Effects" and "Quick Guide to Commercialized Medicinal Plants") are enormously helpful as one keys basic biochemistry and determines 'who sells what to whom and where.' The index is a model of its kind, including all Linnaean names, as well as 'common' names, with a good selection of African species south of the Congo. In company with the classic A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man by George Usher (London, 1974), van Wyk's assemblage almost always narrows a 'search' for a particular herb so that one can pursue it accurately in more advanced references of phytochemistry and medical botany. ... Read more