Grasses of the British Isles
Grasses of the British Isles

Author: Thomas A. Cope

Publisher:

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 620

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

It is now over 50 years since the grasses of the British Isles were last treated to a book of their own, Hubbard's famous account of 1954, though two more editions were published in 1968 and 1984, with fairly limited changes. Enough has happened to the taxonomy of the family to justify a new BSBI Handbook. Hubbard's original account, still available after more than half a century, has been overtaken by events in an ever-developing taxonomic world and will not be revised again. This new Handbook therefore attempts to bridge the gap between the taxonomy of the 1980s and the new molecular phytogenies that are currently being explored, so that what is being offered is something that users will feel comfortable with (by departing no more than absolutely necessary from familiar taxonomy), but which hints at changes that may be afoot in the near future.

Illustrations of Alien Plants of the British Isles
Illustrations of Alien Plants of the British Isles

Author: E. J. Clement

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 484

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

With 444 full page line drawings of introduced, naturalised and casually occurring aliens in Britain, this handbook fulfills a long-felt need, amongst amateur and professional botanists alike, for a field and desk companion to aid in the identification of these plants. The excellent drawings are largely from a collection put together by the late David McClintock, originally with a view to publication in a new illustrated British flora. An invaluable resource, which will benefit botanists both at home and abroad.

Grasses
Grasses

Author: Stephen A. Harris

Publisher: Reaktion Books

Published: 2014-04-15

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1780233132

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Most people have memories of playing on well-manicured lawns or running across the flat green surface of a local park, but we often don’t think of grasses as something we consume. Indeed, grasses include four species—wheat, rice, maize, and sugar—that provide sixty percent of human calorie intake, and we become more and more dependent on these as the world’s population increases. In this book, Stephen Harris explains the history of our relationship with these vital plants from the end of the last Ice Age to the present day. Combining biology, sociology, and cultural history, Grasses explores how these staple crops bear the mark of human influence more visibly than any other plant and how we, in turn, are motivated to protect green space such as public parks. Harris describes this symbiotic connection against the background of climate change, contending that humans must find a way to balance their need for grass as food, as living space, and potentially even as fuel. Providing an impressive exploration of the profound impact these plants have on our survival and our pleasure, this well-illustrated book is a must have for gardeners, foodies, and environmentalists.

New Flora of the British Isles
New Flora of the British Isles

Author: Clive Stace

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2010-04-01

Total Pages: 1267

ISBN-13: 1139486497

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Since its first publication in 1991, New Flora of the British Isles has become established as the standard work on the identification of the wild vascular plants of the British Isles. The Flora remains unique in many features, including its full coverage of all British wild plants, its user-friendly organisation, and its specially compiled keys and descriptions. This new edition includes the addition of more than 160 species, so that 4,800 taxa are now covered in varying degrees of detail. It also incorporates the new molecular system of classification based on DNA sequences. Furthermore, it includes 1600 species illustrations, rewritten distributions and an overhaul of the designation of degrees of rarity, with the introduction of a third, less rare, category. These revisions should ensure that this third edition remains the essential reference source for all taxonomists, ecologists, conservationists, plant hunters and biogeographers, whether they be researchers, teachers, students or amateurs.