Product Description

California and Nevada are known for their astonishing array of plant life, and few components of this diverse flora are more intriguing than the cacti, agaves, and yuccas. These spiny succulents, which share many of the same arid habitats, have long been a source of fascination for explorers, naturalists, and scientists. Cacti, Agaves, and Yuccas of California and Nevada features more than 60 species with a detailed text that is accompanied by 262 color photographs, 16 botanical watercolors, and 52 range maps. Much more than a field guide, this book examines the natural history of California's and Nevada's cacti, agaves, and yuccas, including their origins, ecology, and conservation. It also provides practical horticultural advice for their cultivation and describes some of the best places to see these remarkable succulents in the wild.

Botanist, writer, and photographer Stephen Ingram traveled more than 30,000 miles, much of it on remote backroads, to search out, study, and photograph the cacti, agaves, and yuccas of California and Nevada. He also delved into the scientific literature, visited numerous herbaria, and interviewed our region's leading experts on Cactaceae and Agavaceae. The result is a detailed, highly readable, and beautifully illustrated natural history and field guide. Cacti, Agaves, and Yuccas of California and Nevada is an engaging and substantive reference book that can be enjoyed by novice and expert alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #747730 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 243 pages

Review
More than five dozen species are described and illustrated by Ingram's excellent photography. The majority are shown in brilliant bloom, starting with the red-orange flowers of the Mojave mound cactus pictured on the cover. Ingram times his many treks into deserts and other remote areas in both states with the plants' bloom cycles. ----Mary James, The San Diego Union-Tribune, June 15, 2008

Stephen Ingram lives in the midst of cactus habitat, and his love of these and other prickly plants is evident in the pages of this book. The book serves not only as an overview of such desert plants, but doubles as a field guide, lavishly illustrated with Ingram's excellent photographs. Ingram's training as a botanist is revealed in his thorough approach to detailing the evolution, natural history and cultivation of the native cacti, agaves, and yuccas of California...The detailed profiles of the more than sixty species of cactus, yuccas, and agave living in California and Nevada are excellent. They include precise descriptions of identifying characteristics as well as fine photographic illustrations and clear range maps...Amateur and professional botanists alike will find this new book informative at their desks and useful in the field. Ingram's combination of passion and science may help to foster a greater appreciation for these spiny plants as garden plants, and help assure the continued preservation of their austere, but beautiful desert habitats. ----Virginia Hayes, Pacific Horticulture, Fall 2008

This is more than a small format coffee table book; the photos and range maps on their own will serve as useful tools for identifying the plants...In addition to being a useful field guide, there are sections on culture, conservation, ecology, and places to see the plants in the wild. By placing much of the technical information in eight appendices, a key, and a glossary, Ingram doesn't bog down readers, but lets his prose keep them moving through the descriptions. ----Stephen McCabe, The Bulletin, UCSC Arboretum, Fall 2008

About the Author
Stephen Ingram is a native Californian with a long-time interest in plants and plant ecology. He received a B.S. degree in Biology from Lewis and Clark College, and an M.A. degree in Botany from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Following graduate school, Stephen was employed as part of the Research Department at Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida, managing the herbarium and working on an epiphyte flora of Monteverde, Costa Rica. He has also worked as a botanical consultant doing rare plant surveys in the Eastern Sierra and the Mojave Desert. Stephen is past president of the Bristlecone Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. His photos have been used in numerous books, magazines, and calendars.

Customer Reviews

Excellent Book!!
This is the perfect book for all types of plant enthusiasts. Stephen Ingram has combined his beautiful photographs with a nice description of each species, including basic ecology, distributional information, and fun facts about the history, nomenclature, native american uses, etc. It is easy to read, and although not something you would want to carry into the field, a "must have" reference book for any desert botanist. It is also such a beautiful display of photos that it serves as nice gift to anyone who appreciates plants, nature, or the desert.

Absolutely stunning book!
Stephen Ingram has produced a very worthy field guide with his book "Cacti, Agaves, and Yuccas of California and Nevada"! He goes far beyond the pictures and maps of most guide books and provides detailed sections on the plants' ecology, conservation needs and propogation.
The photos are detailed and stunning, and not limited to the usual one per plant. This is a must have book for any one interested in the plants found in the Mojave desert, as well as parts of nighboring deserts.

FABULOUS!!!!!
Having been a fan of Stephen's exquisite photographs for some time, I was thrilled to find his fabulous book. Besides being a talented photographer, Stephen really knows his stuff. This is THE book to have if you want to learn about the fascinating cacti, agaves and yuccas.