Product Description

Magnolias to Pitcher Plants, the eighth volume devoted to flowering plants in The Illustrated Flora of Illinois series, is the third of several volumes treating dicotyledons. Dicotyledons are those flowering plants that upon germination generally produce a pair of "seed leaves" call cotyledons. Dicots in Illinois far outnumber the monocots, or single cotyledonous plants. Dicots include such well-known plants as roses, peas, mustards, mints, nightshades, milkweeds, and asters. In this volume of the Illustrated Flora, Robert H. Mohlenbrock includes four orders and fifteen families of plants. Because such a small number of families of dicots is found in this work, no overall key to the dicot families is included. The orders included in this work are the Annonales, Berberidales, Nymphaeales, and Sarraceniales. The fifteen families that comprise them are generally conceded by most botanists to be among the most primitive living plants in the world today. These orders can be characterized generally as woody in the Annonales (except for the Saururaceae and some Aristolochiaceae), herbaceous in the Berberidales (except for the Menispermaceae and some Berberidaceae), aquatic in the Nymphaeales, and insectivorous in the Sarraceniales. The nomenclature for the species and lesser taxa in this volume has been chosen after lengthy study of recent floras and monographs. Synonyms, with complete author citation, which have applied to species in the northeastern United States, are given under each species. Each description, while not necessarily intended to be complete, covers the more important features of the species. In this series, the common name, or names, is the one used locally in Illinois. The habitat designation is not always the habitat throughout the range of the species but only in Illinois. Ranges have been compiled from various sources, including herbarium material and field studies. Dot maps showing county distribution for each taxon are provided. Each dot represents a voucher specimen deposited in some herbarium. Each species is illustrated, depicting the habitat and distinguishing features. Robert H. Mohlenbrock, one of the most prolific writers of contemporary plant scientists, is professor of botany at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale and general editor of The Illustrated Flora of Illinois series.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2434555 in Books
• Published on: 1981-03-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 280 pages

Customer Reviews

Clearly Written and Illustrated
This volume is one of several (about 10)that will make up a complete Flora of Illinois. Many volumes are available now, and a few wait to be published. The complete flora will include something nearing 3000 entries for individual species of this surprisingly diverse area of the county, with distribution maps specific to IL. Its entries are very readable, while including much information for characteristics and distribution, in addition to many line drawings that make it valuable for ID too.