Guide to the Grasses of Southern Africa [Paperback]

Frits van Oudtshoom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2012

Grasses were the first plants to be cultivated by man for food and are still the most important food crop. Grass also plays a vital role in the ecology in terms of food for animals and protecting the soil from erosion.

Guide to Grasses of Southern Africa is the only full color guide to the common grasses of southern Africa and includes descriptions of the 300 most important grasses in southern Africa.

Other features are: an easy-to-use grass identification key, more than 800 excellent color photographs and a series of icons that enable the reader to obtain key information at a glance.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

FRITS VAN OUDTSHOOM grew up on a farm near Vivo in the Limpopo province of South Africa, where he developed a keen interest in the natural environment. He holds a Masters degree in Nature Consevation, specializing in Ecological Restoration. He is currently running an ecological consultancy company, Bushveld Eco Services, which specializes in ecological assessments and ecological and agricultural training.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: International Publishers Marketing, Inc.; 1st edition (March 15, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1875093176
• ISBN-13: 978-1875093175
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,200,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, but more information please!, March 29, 2007

By 

B. Bleho "Babzz" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guide to the Grasses of Southern Africa (Paperback)

The organisation of the book is logical, based on inflorescence types, making it easy to jump to the appropriate section. My main issue with the book is the inconsistency in detail between species, e.g. for one species there will be plenty of description of the leaves and for the next species no mention of leaves at all! This makes for difficult comparisons when trying to decide between two species. Still, from what I've been told by South Africans, this is the most comprehensive guide out there. Even with my completely novice skills (regarding grasses AND the region), I was quite comfortable using this book and confidently indentifying a number of grass species or genuses.