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: #250988 in Books
• Published on: 1993-04-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1424 pages

Review
"This is one remarkable cutting-edge flora. Put it on your shelf, peruse it and abuse it, fondle it, learn from it. But most importantly, do yourself a favor--buy it!"--"American Society of Plant Taxonomists

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)

Customer Reviews

Excellent, but not for beginners
This is an excellent book covering thousands of species of flowering plants of California. The book does contain a brief introduction to keying plants and a glossary of plant terms, but despite these features, I believe that the beginner would find this book difficult to use. It's size and complexity can be intimidating, and without color pictures (which aren't always accurate, but helpful for the beginner) it can be a frustrating experience for the novice.

Not for the uninitiated
This book is an excellent botanical key listing a huge number of plants. It is not your average "audubon" guide, since it requires you to key out the plant in question using botanical systematics. Definitely a good reference book, but hard to use casually to find out what that tree is in your front yard!

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!