Books on Wildflowers

This listing describes many of the books that Jerry uses when trying to identify or learn more about wildflowers found in the field. A review is provided for each book.

____________________________________

The History and Folklore of North American Wildflowers, by Timothy Coffey. With this book, Coffey compiles a myriad of anecdotal and historical records pertaining to specific wildflowers in North America. He did this by gleaning treasures from records dating to the 15th Century. It is not truly a field guide, but it helps flesh out the meager information many guides contain. If you are a serious student of wildflowers, you should have this book on your shelf.

 The History and Folklore of North... $11.90(07-20-02)

____________________________________

Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country, by Marshall Enquist. One of the best books on the subject, and one that has served Jerry well over the years. Enquist groups wildflowers by family, so his book is usually the second or third book Jerry turns to when trying to identify a flower. Its value lies in the large number of species it refers to, and the excellent photographs. When a flower cannot be found anywhere else, Enquist's WFTHC usually has it. This book is "out of print", yet it remains available on the shelves of several bookstores in the Texas Hill Country at a reasonable price (used prices, on the other hand, start near $65.00!). An on-line link is listed below, where you may buy this book used. Just remember that you should try local book stores first. If you are not located near the Texas Hill Country, and are interested in buying this book, contact Jerry. Perhaps he can arrange to obtain and ship a copy to you.

 Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (see note re: pricing)

 Wildflowers of Texas  $10.47(07-20-02)

____________________________________

Texas Wildflowers; A Field Guide. By Campbell and Lynn Loughmiller, edited by Lynn Sherrod, with a forward by Lady Bird Johnson. This field guide groups wildflowers by family, rather than by color. That makes it a bit more difficult to use if you are not conversant with the distinctions between various botanical families. Jerry finds it an indispensable companion to other wildflower guides because, once a flower is located in one of them, this book can be used to learn more about the family it belongs to. In the process, you will become better at guessing a flower's family just by its outward characteristics, and this helps speed up the identification process

 Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide  $12.57(07-20-02)

____________________________________

Southwestern and Texas Wildflowers, A Peterson Field Guide. By Niehaus/Ripper/Savage. Jerry paid list price for his copy of this book, which is three times the price you can now buy it for on-line. Even at that high price, it was well worth it. It is a compact book of 450 pages, and each page is chock-full of detailed information. Wildflowers are illustrated with line drawings, and are arranged in this guide according to coloration first, and next according to the gross physical characteristics of the flower. Line drawings are not as easy to key on as photographs, so it is somewhat more difficult to use than the other guides, especially for a beginner. Its saving attribute is that it is more exhaustive than any of the others. Each page lists from 10 to 15 flowers. For that reason, if you are unable to find a flower in any of the other books, you will likely find it- or a very close relative- here. That is its chief advantage, and one that makes it a crucial part of Jerry's library.

 A Field Guide to Southwestern and Texas...  $6.99(07-20-02)