Wildflowers in the Field and Forest: A Field Guide to the Northeastern United States (Jeffrey Glassberg Field Guide Series)

Review'I'm no expert at botany, but I've spent my share of time using Peterson and Audubon guides. This guide differs from them in two important ways: 1) The descriptions and pictures are side by side--no paging back and forth! 2) This covers a much higher proportion of species. This guide does lack info on the ecology of the plants. It has one purpose--to help you look at a plant and figure out what it is. For the breadth of species it covers, it accomplishes this purpose extremely well, very efficiently, and in a format that is easy to carry. There are two notable features: 1) Both natives and non-natives are included, but the names of non-natives are preceded by a "*". Simple, but very helpful. 2) The range maps are like nothing I've seen before--each species has a small map just to the left of it's description which uses color-coded bands to show when the species is in flower. Most of the maps have just one color, but this is still a useful combination of related information. These small maps are greatly helped by the book's covering only the northeast US, allowing greater detail. The book's being limited to the NE would of course be a deal breaker for many. The only other possible complaint that I can see someone having is that identification depends heavily on the plant actually having flowers at the time. The key emphasizes flower color and the photographs tend to focus on the flowers and not the whole plant structure. However, I'm not sure what an effective and efficient alternative would be.' - Anonymous Contributor Many Of Us Have Stopped To Pick Bunches Of Wildflowers Or Have Admired Them As They Flourished In Fields, Hiking Trails, And Roads. Always Appreciated But Not Always Recognized, Now These Beauties Can Easily Be Identified With Wildflowers In The Field And Forest, The Most Inclusive Field Guide Available To The Wildflowers Of The Northeastern United States. Designed For Easy Use, The Book Features Two-page Spreads With Descriptive Text And Range Maps On One Side Facing Pages Of Color Photos On The Other. The Descriptions Are Concise, But Thorough, And The Range Maps Show Both Where The Plant Grows And What Time Of Year It Is Likely To Be In Bloom. Plants Are Grouped By Flower Color, Usually The Feature First Noticed By The Observer. The Species Are Subsequently Grouped By Petal Arrangement, Type Of Leaves, And Number Of Flower Parts As Indicated In The Quick Characters Box At The Top Of Each Page. There Is Also A Simple Key In The Beginning Of The Book That Allows One To Quickly Narrow The Search To A Few Pages. In Addition To The More Common And Conspicuous Wildflowers, Many Of The Lesser Known, And Often Overlooked, Species Are Also Depicted. Full-color Photos Generally Show The Flowers Of The Plant, And While Insets Of Leaves (and Occasionally Fruits) Are Often Included To Help In Identification. A Bar On Each Photo Allows Users To Accurately Judge The Actual Size Of Each Flower. This Is The Most Comprehensive Field Guide For The Northeastern United States, Including New England, New York, New Jersey, And Pennsylvania, With Additional Coverage Of Adjacent Areas In Eastern Canada. Over 1,400 Species Are Described; Nearly All Are Illustrated By Beautiful Color Photographs. Photographs Accurately Depict The Flowers; Insets Show Details Of Leaves And Other Features. Photos, Descriptions, And Maps On Facing Pages Make The Book Simple To Use. Color-coded Maps Indicate Both The Range Of The Species And The Time When It Is In Bloom. - Publisher. Foreword / Peter Raven -- Preface And Acknowledgments / Steve Clemants And Carol Gracie -- Introduction -- Using This Book To Identify A Plant -- Begin With Color -- Outline Guide -- Other Significant Characteristics -- Missing Species -- Learning About Wildflowers -- Parts Of A Flower -- Understanding Pollination Biology -- Wildflower Gardening -- Wildflower Photography -- About The Species Accounts -- Quick Guides To Leaves -- Headings And General Information -- Plant Families -- Names -- Species Accounts -- Habitat -- Photographic Plates -- Key To The Species Accounts -- Abbreviations And Symbols -- Key To The Maps -- Species Accounts -- Flowers Blue To Violet -- Flowers Pink To Red -- Flowers Orange -- Flowers Yellow -- Flowers Green -- Flowers Brown -- Flowers White -- Glossary -- Bibliography -- Photographic Credits And Map Sources -- Family Index -- Index. Steven Clemants And Carol Gracie. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 405-408) And Indexes. Many of us have stopped to pick bunches of wildflowers or have admired them as they flourished in fields, hiking trails, and roads. Always appreciated but not always recognized, now these beauties can easily be identified with Wildflowers in the Field and Forest , the most inclusive field guide available to the wildflowers of the northeastern United States. Designed for easy use, the book features two-page spreads with descriptive text and range maps on one side facing pages of color photos on the other. The descriptions are concise, but thorough, and the range maps show both where the plant grows and what time of year it is likely to be in bloom. Plants are grouped by flower color, usually the feature first noticed by the observer. The species are subsequently grouped by petal arrangement, type of leaves, and number of flower parts as indicated in the "quick characters" box at the top of each page. There is also a simple key in the beginning of the book that allows one to quickly narrow the search to a few pages. In addition to the more common and conspicuous wildflowers, many of the lesser known, and often overlooked, species are also depicted. Full-color photos generally show the flowers of the plant, and while insets of leaves (and occasionally fruits) are often included to help in identification. A bar on each photo allows users to accurately judge the actual size of each flower. Both serious botanists and casual nature observers will welcome this beautifully illustrated and expertly detailed guide. The most comprehensive field guide for the northeastern United States, including New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, with additional coverage of adjacent areas in eastern Canada Over 1,400 species are described; nearly all are illustrated by beautiful color photographs Photographs accurately depict the flowers; insets show details of leaves and other features Photos, descriptions, and maps on facing pages make the book simple to use Color-coded maps indicate both the range of the species and the time when it is in bloom