Customer Reviews

How to Know the Ferns and Fern Allies (The Pictured Key Nature Series)

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When a friend urged me to buy John Mickels' "How to Know the Ferns and Fern Allies" I was skeptical. I didn't think it could top Boughton Cobb's guide in the Peterson series. I was genuinely surprised by what I found. Mickel's book is superior in several ways. The drawings of fern anatomy are cleaner, letting the neophyte focus on the important features of fern identification. Range maps (missing from Cobb's book) let you eliminate species not in your area. And being a more recent publication, Mickel's taxonomic treatment is more up-to-date. However, I miss Boughton Cobb's outline drawings of fern blades, which are really neat for developing a general search image for species. That's why I keep both guides handy. You can never own enough field guides.

When a friend first introduced me to John Mickel's "How to know the ferns and fern allies" I was skeptical that Boughton Cobb's book (in the Peterson's series) could be bested. I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is Mickel's book more up-to-date, but the drawings are all more cleanly rendered, allowing the beginner to focus on the most important features of fern identification. Range maps (which the Peterson guide lacks) let you eliminate many species not in your area. The price is a bit daunting, but for the serious field botanist this book is a must!