Product Description

First published in 1925, Willis Linn Jepson's Manual of the Flowering Plants of California has been a standard reference for teachers, students, and naturalists. Since that time, hundreds of new species have been identified and botanical investigation has become more sophisticated. Now Jepson's philosophy of making such information available to all is again realized in this new volume, which includes a wealth of material accumulated over the past decades.
With contributions from two hundred botanists across North America, this is the most comprehensive resource and identification guide to nearly eight thousand varieties of native and naturalized California plants. The means to identify plants (using key traits and illustrations) is accompanied by special information such as horticultural requirements, endangerment, toxicity, weed status, and notes on the management of sensitive species. Identification keys have been designed for ease of use, and terms have been simplified and illustrated, making the new Manual the most authoritative field guide for the expert and amateur alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #64821 in Books
• Published on: 1993-04-23
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1424 pages

From the Inside Flap
"More information is packed into one volume that will be useful to a wider audience than any other manual of this kind yet published in the history of botany."--David L. Magney, The California Native Plant Society

"A single work . . . simultaneously accessible to dedicated beginners and indispensable to professional botanists. . . . For the first time in one volume a user-friendly flora of the exceedingly diverse higher plants of California."--Mildred E. Mathias, editor of Flowering Plants in the Landscape

"Allows amateurs and professionals alike to easily and accurately identify plant species. . . . A product that will contribute in a major way to the preservation of California's unique floral resource. Our gratitude and congratulations for a job well done."--Phyllis Faber, Editor, Fremontia

"Sets new standards for excellence . . . and picks up beautifully on the contemporary idea that botanical work should be fully accessible to the general public as well as to scientists."--Peter H. Raven, Missouri Botanical Garden

"Precise and accurate, a masterpiece of clarity and succinctness."--G. Ledyard Stebbins, University of California, Davis

From the Back Cover
"More information is packed into one volume that will be useful to a wider audience than any other manual of this kind yet published in the history of botany." (David L. Magney, The California Native Plant Society)

About the Author
Willis Linn Jepson was a leader in the movement to document and preserve California's environmental and botanical riches, founding the California Botanical Society in 1915 and helping to establish both the Sierra Club and the Save-the-Redwoods League. On his death in 1946, he endowed the Jepson Herbarium at the University of California, Berkeley.

Customer Reviews

Very heavy textbook
If you are buying this book, you are probably a botanist or a student taking a botany course in California. The keys work pretty well, my professor wrote several sections in this book, so he has been able to teach us how to use the book. One of my complaints is the thickness of the pages. The older editions use thinner paper, making it lighter and smaller. This book adds about 2 square feet and 45 pounds to my backpack when I bring it to class.

The Best Technical Review of California Plants
There is no easy way to identify a plant to species, but if it is in California it is far easier to use this volume than the others. Although it was written in 1925, the line drawings are for me priceless. Be advised that names change in 75 years even if plants do not, you will need a modern flora to reference the old name. HIGHLY recommended, but technical.

Good Reference and Learning Guide
This is an excellent guide. Very comprehensive, however you must have formal education in botany and plant ID in order to effectively use the guide to key plants to genus and or species. Not recommended for the average person. Just people who are plant nerds!