How To Identify Plants [Paperback]

H.D. Harrington (Author), L.W. Durrell (Illustrator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0804001499 | ISBN-13: 978-0804001496 | Publication Date: January 1, 1957

First issued in 1957 by Swallow Press, this classic guide to the art of plant identification is now familiar to an entire generation of students. Harrington who was Professor of Botany and Curator of the Herbarium at Colorado State University, gives step-by-step instructions and definitions to help readers recognize and classify plants. The new printing has been reset and reformatted, and L.W. Durrell's drawings and glossary—more than 500 images—have been digitally enhanced for clarity.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The late H.D. Harrington was Professor of Botany and Curator of the Herbarium at Colorado State University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 203 pages
• Publisher: Swallow Press (January 1, 1957)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804001499
• ISBN-13: 978-0804001496
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,606 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Plants > Trees
  • #93 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Botany

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Does the job -- but there are better books available, March 16, 2000

By 

H. Paul Greenough (Blaine, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How To Identify Plants (Paperback)

From the copyright date, this book was written in the fifties. The quality of the black and white photos is consistent with this guess, as is the rather pedantic style. There are also chapters on the structure of the nomenclature system, which is probably already well-known by most of the likely readers, and on how to collect plants, which may not be a good idea these days, at least for the rarer species.

For $6 more, I'd go for the similar book by James/Melinda Harris. More focussed; better illustrations; less pedantic style.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great book for amateurs and experts alike, March 24, 2007

By 

Sarah Holton (Kentucky, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How To Identify Plants (Paperback)

I really liked this book and found it very reader-friendly and helpful. So it is not the newest book on the shelves, but that doesn't mean it is not a realiable and very useful resource. I had to buy this book for a class and never sold it back. Since that class I have used countless other guides on the same subject and when friends ask me what is a good starter guide book, with no hesitation I reply with How to Identify Plants by H.D. Harrington. Even today I still go back and reference it when using other field guides. This book sould be in every botanist's collection and makes a great starter for beginners.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How to Identify Plants, June 14, 2008

By 

Farley Calford - See all my reviews

This review is from: How To Identify Plants (Paperback)

Very helpful for reviewing terms that are used in taxonomic literature devoted to plant identification.