Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida [Hardcover]

Richard P. Wunderlin (Author), Bruce F. Hansen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 13, 2003

The definitive guide to more than 4,000 plants found in the Sunshine State

"Wunderlin brings us light-years toward an understanding of what we have and what we had in the state. He also shows us what we stand to lose to exotic species invasion, urbanization, and similar impacts of modern civilization."--Florida Scientist

"Includes paragraphs on scope of the flora, arrangement of taxa, keys, taxonomy and nomenclature, distribution, etc. Identifies exotic species that have become naturalized. . . . An extremely valuable reference."--Economic Botany

"A comprehensive identification manual to the region that has the third largest plant diversity of any state in the nation."--Publishers Weekly

"An invaluable source. . . . Wunderlin’s guide brings together his years of work with the flora of Florida."--Choice

"Has quickly become THE means to key out more than 4,000 taxa of native and non-native ferns, fern allies and seed plants in Florida. . . . Required by serious plant people in the Sunshine State."--Aquaphyte

Expanded and updated, this volume is an indispensable reference to the highly diverse flora of the state. Both popular and comprehensive, this new edition contains updated nomenclature and the inclusion of more than 100 additional species, making it the most inclusive identification manual to the more than 4,200 taxa native to or naturalized in Florida.

 

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

The definitive guide to more than 4,000 plants found in the Sunshine State

"Wunderlin brings us light-years toward an understanding of what we have and what we had in the state. He also shows us what we stand to lose to exotic species invasion, urbanization, and similar impacts of modern civilization."--Florida Scientist

"Includes paragraphs on scope of the flora, arrangement of taxa, keys, taxonomy and nomenclature, distribution, etc. Identifies exotic species that have become naturalized. . . . An extremely valuable reference."--Economic Botany

"A comprehensive identification manual to the region that has the third largest plant diversity of any state in the nation."--Publishers Weekly

"An invaluable source. . . . Wunderlin’s guide brings together his years of work with the flora of Florida."--Choice

"Has quickly become THE means to key out more than 4,000 taxa of native and non-native ferns, fern allies and seed plants in Florida. . . . Required by serious plant people in the Sunshine State."--Aquaphyte

Expanded and updated, this volume is an indispensable reference to the highly diverse flora of the state. Both popular and comprehensive, this new edition contains updated nomenclature and the inclusion of more than 100 additional species, making it the most inclusive identification manual to the more than 4,200 taxa native to or naturalized in Florida.

 

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Richard P. Wunderlin is professor of biology at the University of South Florida. Bruce F. Hansen is curator of the University of South Florida Herbarium. Together they are coauthors of Flora of Florida, Volume I and the Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants website.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 796 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Florida; 2 edition (November 13, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813026326
• ISBN-13: 978-0813026329
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,149,523 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only book of its kind covering the entire state., August 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida (Hardcover)

This book is a series of keys to identify all Florida vascular plants from ferns to sunflowers; from the temperate to the tropical. Although mainly for a more serious botanist, the keys seem to home in to the main non-technical characters for field identification. This brevity is perhaps a problem when plant material is limited. There are no illustrations except a map of Florida counties (and one plant picture below the title). A synopsis of the flora is given (covers 3,834 species of which 1,180 are introduced and 155 endemics). A glossary will assist the laymen and the forgetful with terminology.

Good features:

1. Taxonomy/nomenclature appears to be open to the recent revisions that were unfortunately not accepted by more conservative authors such as Cronquist (e.g. Eupatorium is treated as several genera here).

2. Explicitly states whether the plant is native, endemic, or introduced, and where in Florida (no maps, but a complete atlas available online.

3. All in one very portable volume for reasonable price; pages sturdy with legible sized print.

4. The book includes endemic species (e.g. Boltonia apalachicolensis) which were new discoveries since Clewell (1985) wrote the guide to the panhandle region.

The main complaints that I have (beside not being in Florida to test it out) are:

1. Families arranged by Englar/Prantl system and not shown in page header, hindering search for families (although genera are arranged alphabetically).

2. Aloe vera is listed in Agavaceae but doesn't appear in the key to genera.

3. No descriptions (but will be in future work according to author) END

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for the true florida naturalist., September 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida (Hardcover)

I never realized how often I would use this book in my studies of florida's ecosystems until I purchased it. It is an extremely thourough "all-in-one" botanical description of the state that appears to benefit those roughly familiar with our flora. My only wish is that more complete descriptions and illustrations were given for each species i.e. "A Flora of Tropical Florida" and "Flora of the Bahama Archipelago". These enhancements would no doubt increase the cost of the book though and at its price it is still affordable. For its completeness though once again there is no equal and I consider it a necesity.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for a serious plant person, January 6, 2009

By 

Mark R. Terrell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida (Hardcover)

A great guide to the native plants of Florida. Recommended to me by a botanist. The book is a very comprehensive reference for identifying Florida's native plants. Not for the casual gardener.