Customer Reviews

The Cacti of the United States and Canada

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After 1044 pages, 813 black and white photographs, 194 color photographs, 165 line drawings, and 135 distribution maps, cacti lovers will have no problems finding their favorite cacti in the wild or getting background on their systematics. This is a wonderful book, and one can never tire of perusing its contents. It is rich with information and an excellent introduction for those readers first entering the exotic world of cacti. Some of the most interesting parts of the book include: 1. The use of the scanning electron microscope to study surface patterns of cacti. Students of botany will realize that correlating the fine structure of cacti with taxonomy would be an interesting research project. 2. The root system of the Opuntia echinocarpa cholla. 3. The metabolism of cacti: the Craseulacean acid metabolism which allows closing of the stomata during the day. 4. The chemical chracters of cacti, particularly the use of two-dimensional chromatograms. 5. The evolutionary relationships within the family of cacti. 6. The role of asexual reproduction in promoting the survival of hybrids in chollas and prickly pears.
The book will no doubt serve as an excellent reference book in many years to come.

an awesome reference for everyone. this book hasgreat color photographs and information on hardiness and soil types for specilizedplants. very thorough as to identification and various hybrids if any. also has nice color photos and line drawings of each plant in detail