Adequate for what it is, perhaps, but disappointingly introductory for me. I wanted more about the actual chemical interactions that connect rocks to Adequate for what it is, perhaps, but disappointingly introductory for me. I wanted more about the actual chemical interactions that connect rocks to soils to plants, but that constituted a few paragraphs....more
This is a book of keys and highly localized descriptions, but for what it is it's amazing. An invaluable resource for anyone botanizing Mt. Diablo andThis is a book of keys and highly localized descriptions, but for what it is it's amazing. An invaluable resource for anyone botanizing Mt. Diablo and useful for anyone botanically inclined in the Bay Area. I often find the keys and descriptions more useful than Jepson. Maybe that isn't saying much....more
Mosses are fairly hard to identify, mostly because they are so small. This book is required reading if you want to ID mosses in California, mostly becMosses are fairly hard to identify, mostly because they are so small. This book is required reading if you want to ID mosses in California, mostly because there aren't many other image-based resources for moss identification, and keys can get pretty technical pretty quick. While this guide is not comprehensive, it will lead you in the right direction. My main caveats are a) not everything is photographed in situ (many photos are microscopic and/or of dried specimens), and b) there is no key to fall back on when you can't find a good match among the photos or leaf illustrations....more
I got this to help ID some wildflowers I photographed during a recent vacation back East. While I was there I relied mostly on the Peterson and AuduboI got this to help ID some wildflowers I photographed during a recent vacation back East. While I was there I relied mostly on the Peterson and Audubon guides to the eastern US, which are decent, but lacking in some key areas upon which this guide improves. Like the Peterson guide, it approaches comprehensiveness for the region, and like the Audubon guide, every single species has a color photograph. Unlike either of them, every species has a range map on the same page as the photo (no annoying flipping back and forth), which also shows seasonality using color (not immediately obvious but learnable). Every photo also has a scale bar showing the actual size of the flower. Scale bars and range maps are excellent visualizations that more field guides should employ, especially botanical ones. The flowers are organized by color, then by morphology and family. The back cover has a ruler (yay!), but it's not in metric (boo).
My only real problem with this book is that while they list the families shown at the top of each page, they use common names without the additional scientific names ("Rose Family" instead of "Rosaceae"). If you care enough about botany to learn your families, you will probably know the scientific names instead ot the ambiguous common ones. I was flipping through the white section looking for Polygonaceae and it took me a while to realize they call it the "Smartweed Family." There also isn't much in the way of natural history, just morphology and habitat. This is one area in which the Audubon guide has this one beat.
Overall, this is one of the best pictorial botanical field guides I think I've used. I wish we had some regional guides like this for CA....more
This is the best reference I've found for plants in the Bay Area, and it's pretty much always in my hiking bag from February to June. It has some coloThis is the best reference I've found for plants in the Bay Area, and it's pretty much always in my hiking bag from February to June. It has some color plates, but it's mostly keys, so be forewarned that you'll need some botanical terminology and either the plant in hand or a bunch of detailed photos. A lot of couplets use measurements, so photos with a ruler in frame are often useful.
They keys are pretty good, though, and more comprehensible than the Jepson ones, IMO. Plus, unlike Jepson, you can take this into the field without a mule. Comprehensive coverage of all vascular plants and ferns is awesome. The only real issue I've found is a few missing taxa (some species of Gilia I think)....more
Haven't used it too much, but it is highly technical, and most of the keys seem to assume you have a whole specimen in hand, flower, fruit, and leavesHaven't used it too much, but it is highly technical, and most of the keys seem to assume you have a whole specimen in hand, flower, fruit, and leaves. Nevertheless, it's comprehensive, and unlike the full Jepson, you can carry it in a backpack....more
Pretty good set of regional keys. No photos of the plants, though there are photo plates of habitats and numerous line drawings. Keys seem decent, andPretty good set of regional keys. No photos of the plants, though there are photo plates of habitats and numerous line drawings. Keys seem decent, and the species descriptions, while brief, include localities. The Tom Killion print on the cover is, of course, beautiful, but the maps on the inside covers are also very fine, showing the whole county and a detail of the Mt. Tam area. Having this book makes me want to spend more time in Marin....more
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