Customer Reviews

Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Though the Green Bible has been the best in the southeastern US for the past 30 years, and is still the best published manual for the Carolinas, it's in dire need of updating. Taxonomy for many of the species has changed, many more species have been discovered in the Carolinas since it was written (some native, some exotic), and the dot maps reflect what was know about species 30-40 years ago and don't necessarily reflect what is known about current ranges (also, the county dots aren't always backed up by occurrence records deposited in herbaria and thus are difficult to confirm)... overall, a wonderful publication, but one in need of a modern overhaul.

I have used this book for almost 30 years, and there is none better for the Southeast. Even if you use other guides, this one is the final authority! I cross reference everything through this book.

Provides complete coverage of all vascular plants of North and South Carolina. Features excellent keys, drawings, and range maps.

Fantastic..I heard this book was no longer available. I have used it for years--there is no substitute. Buy it while you can, as it is no longer published and this is the first time I have seen it for sale in over 10 years.

As a botany major, I have to say this is the most important book to have in your collection. I use it for classes, I use it for the field, I use it for reference. Some things are outdated and need to be corrected, but for the most part it is essential for anyone dealing with plants. One concern I have is that it may be hard to use for people who are not knowledgeable in plant vocabulary. The keys are sometimes difficult for even advanced botanists to use, and not always because of the plant in question. It is a must-have for anyone dealing with plants, but a good plant dictionary is something I heavily recommend.

I have gone through 4 of these in the past 26 years and I heartily recommend it for anyone with a more than passable amount of knowledge concerning plants.

Although it's been mentioned as the "best book" for plant identification in the Southeast by reviewers, this is simply not accurate and any true field botanist can attest to this. It's a wonderful manual for an OVERALL coverage of Carolinas, parts of Virginia, Tennessee, and portions of Alabama and northern Florida. In regards to wetland plants, Godrey & Wooten's work remains the gold standard for the entire SE. Andre Clewell's "Guide to the Vascular Plants of the Florida Panhandle" is better even without illustrations and covers many, many more species. As you move away from the Jacksonville, FL area and move westward toward the panhandle (and still well within the heart of the SE) Radford, et al. becomes hit and miss and doesn't cover the much more species rich area of the Florida Panhandle and adjacent southern Alabama and SW Georgia.

Radford, et al. still remains an invaluable book for those within the heart of it's range and then some. As for the outdated names, any competent plant taxonomist can find a list of synonyms and cross reference their identifications, so this is hardly a criticism of a work of this caliber.

This book was purchased for office and field use. It arrived timely and is a very good reference book.