Rare Plants of Texas: A Field Guide (W.L. Moody Jr. Natural History Series) (Turtleback)

by Jackie M. Poole (Author), William R. Carr (Author), Dana M. Price (Author), Jason R. Singhurst (Author) "Texas is a big state..." (more)
Key Phrases: sunflower family, spurge family, recovery plan, New Mexico, West Texas, Chihuahuan Desert (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
" . . . a major contribution to knowledge about Texas plants." -- George M. Diggs Jr., professor of biology, Austin College

Product Description
Since 1987, when Texas Parks and Wildlife Department botanists published their first in-house summary of Texas' threatened plants, more than 225 species have been identified and described as endangered, imperiled, or declining. Because most of these plants are too rare to be mentioned, much less pictured, in standard field guides, only a handful of botanists have known what these plants or their habitats look like.

Complete with photographs, line drawings, and county maps, this book describes the officially listed, candidate, and species-of-concern plants in Texas. Individual accounts include information on distribution, habitat, physical description, flowering time, federal and state status, similar species, and published references. The authors also provide brief introductory chapters on the state's vegetation regions; the history of plant conservation in Texas; federal, state, and other ranking methods; threats to native plants; recovery methods; and reporting guidelines.

With the growing recognition that native plants support wildlife, conserve water, promote biodiversity, and exemplify our natural heritage, we must also recognize the need for greater understanding of endangered plants, the threats to their existence, and the importance of their survival. Rare Plants of Texas is highly recommended for professional botanists and advanced researchers, conservationists, students, range managers, and others concerned with preserving the ecosystems of Texas and the Southwest.

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Product Details

• Turtleback: 640 pages
• Publisher: Texas A&M University Press (December 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585445576
• ISBN-13: 978-1585445578
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #304,747 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewing: Rare Plants of Texas, July 6, 2008

By	Kevin Tipple (Plano, Texas) - See all my reviews

Recently released by Texas A&M University Press this reference guide is a comprehensive and detailed look at the rare plants of Texas. While useful for the layman, the book is primarily of interest for botanists and others deeply immersed in the subject matter. As such, the book is highly technical in nature and written in a dry academic tone.

After a brief preface and an acknowledgment section, there is a multi page section on the various natural regions of Texas. Filled with facts and figures and a single solitary map of the state that contains no reference points, this section goes into detail about the land mass and various types of plants typically found in the 11 regions. It is noted here and elsewhere in this book that rare species are still being found today in Texas as much of the state has not been surveyed in the manner required to note and document everything.

Sections on the history of planet conservation as well as a section on the law and terms being used as well as another section on the threats to rare plants which are primarily human related follow the natural regions section. This is followed by sections on "Management and Restoration of Rare Plants" and "Nomenclature and Species Selection." Quickly followed by instructions for and a copy of the official "Wildlife Diversity Reporting Form" issued by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to report a rare plant, animal or habitat that will be verified before being added to the wildlife diversity database.

This leads readers to the heart of the book "Species Treatments" which begins on page 55. Each plant is depicted in a drawing, a color picture, and located on the country map of Texas. Each plant has listed various facts such as scientific name, common name, family name, endangered status date, where it lives, and a detailed description of the plant, habitat of the plant, and comments and references on the plant. Listed in alphabetical order each plant is detailed across two pages with many plants depicted in multiple color photographs and ink drawings.

Beginning on page 521 there is a short section on what was excluded from this book and why. That leads to a very detailed glossary of terms and a seventy-nine page reference section. This field guide type book concludes with an extensive index of thirteen pages.

This is a comprehensive book and is a well done reference guide that should be of interest to the professional as well as the general layman interested in the field. Certainly it isn't of interest for everyone and it was not designed to be as it is highly technical in nature. Therefore, those with a deep interest in the topic will appreciate it the most. For that readership it was designed for, it works well and provides a glimpse of the many rare plants found across the great state of Texas.


Kevin R Tipple (copyright) 2008