Wildflowers in the Field and Forest A Field Guide to the Northeastern United States

by Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol

• ISBN13: 9780195150056
• ISBN10: 0195150058
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-04-13
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Many of us have stopped to pick bunches of wildflowers or have admired them as they flourished in fields, hiking trails, and roads. Always appreciated but not always recognized, now these beauties can easily be identified with Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, the most inclusive field guide available to the wildflowers of the northeastern United States. Designed for easy use, the book features two-page spreads with descriptive text and range maps on one side facing pages of color photos on the other. The descriptions are concise, but thorough, and the range maps show both where the plant grows and what time of year it is likely to be in bloom. Plants are grouped by flower color, usually the feature first noticed by the observer. The species are subsequently grouped by petal arrangement, type of leaves, and number of flower parts as indicated in the "quick characters" box at the top of each page. There is also a simple key in the beginning of the book that allows one to quickly narrow the search to a few pages. In addition to the more common and conspicuous wildflowers, many of the lesser known, and often overlooked, species are also depicted. Full-color photos generally show the flowers of the plant, and while insets of leaves (and occasionally fruits) are often included to help in identification. A bar on each photo allows users to accurately judge the actual size of each flower. Both serious botanists and casual nature observers will welcome this beautifully illustrated and expertly detailed guide. The most comprehensive field guide for the northeastern United States, including New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, with additional coverage of adjacent areas in eastern Canada Over 1,400 species are described; nearly all are illustrated by beautiful color photographs Photographs accurately depict the flowers; insets show details of leaves and other features Photos, descriptions, and maps on facing pages make the book simple to use Color-coded maps indicate both the range of the species and the time when it is in bloom

Author Biography

Steve Clemants is Vice President of Science at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. In this role he manages the Science, Publications, and Plant Information Departments. He is also co-Director of the Center for Urban Restoration Ecology and co-editor of the on-line journal urbanhabitats.com. He has been convener of international plant symposia, authored or co-authored numerous articles on plants for local and international publications, and edited the 1999 New York Metropolitan Flora Woody Plant Workbook.
Carol Gracie organizes and leads international natural history tours for The New York Botanical Garden, where she is also a Research Assistant. Her photographs have appeared in numerous books, magazines, and scientific journals, and she has served as co-editor and/or contributing author for several botanical guides.

Table of Contents

Foreword	ix
Peter Raven
Preface and Acknowledgments	xiii
Steven Clemants
Carol Gracie
Introduction
Using This Book to Identify a Plant	xix
Begin with Color	xx
Outline Guide	xx
Other Significant Characteristics	xxiii
Missing Species	xxiii
Learning About Wildflowers	xxiii
Parts of a Flower	xxiv
Understanding Pollination Biology	xxv
Wildflower Gardening	xxvi
Wildflower Photography	xxvii
About the Species Accounts	xxviii
Quick Guides to Leaves	xxix
Headings and General Information	xxx
Plant Families	xxx
Names	xxx
Species Accounts	xxxi
Habitat	xxxi
Photographic Plates	xxxi
Key to the Species Accounts	xxxii
Abbreviations and Symbols	xxxiv
Key to the Maps	1	(400)
Species Accounts
Flowers Blue to Violet	2	(62)
Flowers Pink to Red	64	(72)
Flowers Orange	136	(4)
Flowers Yellow	140	(92)
Flowers Green	232	(24)
Flowers Brown	256	(8)
Flowers White	264	(137)
Glossary	401	(4)
Bibliography	405	(4)
Photographic Credits and Map Sources	409	(2)
Family Index	411	(8)
Index	419