This is
a very useful field guide for identifying many of
Florida's wild flowers. A wealth of information is
efficiently packaged into a handy 9" X 6"
308-page book. 715 species of flowering plants are
treated in the text, with excellent color photographs and
complete descriptions for 500. For each of those 500 the
following information is provided: common name(s);
scientific name and authority; family; description of
important identifying characteristics; distribution map
showing the plant's presence in South, Central, North and
Panhandle Florida; general distribution outside Florida;
notes on related species; habitat; whether native or
naturalized; frequency of occurrence (common, rare,
etc.); whether protected by state or federal law; plant
habit (tree, shrub, vine, etc.); leaf arrangement; leaf
type; leaf shape; type of leaf margin; flower
arrangement; flower form; flower color; number of petals;
season of bloom; photographic credit; and even the
precise references so you can get additional information
about the species in each of two technical botanical
volumes: Flora of Tropical Florida by R.W. Long and
O.Lakela and Manual of the Vascular Flora of the
Carolinas by A.E. Radford, H.E. Ahles, and C.R. Bell.
(You don't even have to use their indexes!) There's a
useful glossary of botanical terms and a set of
easy-to-use identification keys devoid of the usual
technical jargon. I've been using this book for years (it
was first published in 1982) and I didn't realize how
much information was in it until I started writing this
review! Keep this book in your car as I do so you'll have
it whenever you see a flower that you don't recognize.
