This handy handbook, which can be used independently or as a companion to The Trees of Florida and The Shrubs and Woody Vines of Florida, makes it possible to easily identify all of Florida's native and naturalized woody plants. The text is formatted as a traditional botanical key, offering a series of either/or decisions leading to the precise identification of a plant in hand. Designed primarily for field use and targeted to both amateurs and professionals, the keys are clear, concise, non-technical, and rely on conspicuous and easily seen features with emphasis on characteristics that are observable year-round. An important addition to any plant lovers field gear.
As seen on PBS's American Spring LIVE, the award-winning author of Buzz and Feathers presents a natural and human history of seeds, the marvels of the plant kingdom. "The genius of Hanson's fascinating, inspiring, and entertaining book stems from the fact that it is not about how all kinds of things grow from seeds; it is about the seeds themselves." -- Mark Kurlansky, New York Times Book Review We live in a world of seeds. From our morning toast to the cotton in our clothes, they are quite literally the stuff and staff of life: supporting diets, economies, and civilizations around the globe. Just as the search for nutmeg and pepper drove the Age of Discovery, coffee beans fueled the Enlightenment and cottonseed sparked the Industrial Revolution. Seeds are fundamental objects of beauty, evolutionary wonders, and simple fascinations. Yet, despite their importance, seeds are often seen as commonplace, their extraordinary natural and human histories overlooked. Thanks to this stunning new book, they can be overlooked no more. This is a book of knowledge, adventure, and wonder, spun by an award-winning writer with both the charm of a fireside story-teller and the hard-won expertise of a field biologist. A fascinating scientific adventure, it is essential reading for anyone who loves to see a plant grow.
Designed especially for winter use and featuring almost six hundred illustrations, this taxonomic guide describes some nine hundred plant species by their twig, bud, and bark characteristics. All the trees, shrubs, and woody ground covers that grow without aid of cultivation in the Southeast are presented here, in a single reference.
Florida ranks third in the U.S. in the number of plants about 4,000 species that cover its landscape. Here at last is an easy-to-use field guide to them all, chock-full of line drawings and color photos. This book will be useful to professional botanists, landscape architects, and homeowners alike.
First comprehensive guide to Florida's amazing variety of trees, both natives and exotics, from scrub oak to mangroves, from bald cypress and gumbo limbo, from sabal palm to the Florida yew. Serves as both a reference and a field guide. Includes suggested field sites for observing the species described. Color photos were color is important in identification, as well as line drawings. Useful to the naturalist, professional botanist, landscape architect, and weekend gardener.
Muenscher was an early Cornell botany professor known as the "Wizard of Weeds." This first update since 1950 of his classic volume on eastern North American botany updates the changing nomenclature--the bane of many students, amateurs, and professionals--applied by the International Botanical Congress. There are comprehensive and field-oriented keys to genera and species, and a systematic list of species in the keys. Includes the preface to the 1922 edition, a glossary, diagrammatic guide to terms (the text's only visuals), and a briefly annotated bibliography. Cope is also a Cornell U. botanist. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR
Fully revised and updated, Wildflowers of the Florida Keys is the ultimate field guide to wildflowers, trees, and shrubs of the ecoregion that extends from Soldier Key to Key West. Whether you are looking for the endemic Big Pine Partridge Pea, the elusive Keys Passionflower, or the fragrant Princewood, this guide will aid in plant identification for botanists and novice enthusiasts alike. Packed with vivid color photos and informative text, this valuable reference will help you identify and appreciate the unique and varied flora of this lush, tropical region. INSIDE YOU’LL FIND: Detailed descriptions and color photos of more than 350 plants An introduction to the habitats and ecology of the Florida Keys Plants arranged by color and family A glossary of botanical terms A primer on plant characteristics
The Study of Plants in a Whole New Light “Matt Candeias succeeds in evoking the wonder of plants with wit and wisdom.” ―James T. Costa, PhD, executive director, Highlands Biological Station and author of Darwin's Backyard #1 New Release in Nature & Ecology, Plants, Botany, Horticulture, Trees, Biological Sciences, and Nature Writing & Essays In his debut book, internationally-recognized blogger and podcaster Matt Candeias celebrates the nature of plants and the extraordinary world of plant organisms. A botanist’s defense. Since his early days of plant restoration, this amateur plant scientist has been enchanted with flora and the greater environmental ecology of the planet. Now, he looks at the study of plants through the lens of his ever-growing houseplant collection. Using gardening, houseplants, and examples of plants around you, In Defense of Plants changes your relationship with the world from the comfort of your windowsill. The ruthless, horny, and wonderful nature of plants. Understand how plants evolve and live on Earth with a never-before-seen look into their daily drama. Inside, Candeias explores the incredible ways plants live, fight, have sex, and conquer new territory. Whether a blossoming botanist or a professional plant scientist, In Defense of Plants is for anyone who sees plants as more than just static backdrops to more charismatic life forms. In this easily accessible introduction to the incredible world of plants, you’ll find: • Fantastic botanical histories and plant symbolism • Passionate stories of flora diversity and scientific names of plant organisms • Personal tales of plantsman discovery through the study of plants If you enjoyed books like The Botany of Desire, What a Plant Knows, or The Soul of an Octopus, then you’ll love In Defense of Plants.