Wild Plants Of The Sierra Nevada [Hardcover]

Ray S. Vizgirdas (Author), Edna M. Rey-Vizgirdas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2005

The first comprehensive look at the many uses, from historical to pharmacological, of vascular plants found in the Sierra Nevada. The Sierra Nevada of California and Nevada is the longest continuous mountain range in the United States. Covering about 20 percent of California’s land base and part of western Nevada, it offers an exceptional variety of topographic relief and environmental conditions that allow for a high diversity of plant species, many of them endemic to the range. The Sierra contains over 50 percent of California’s total flora, approximately 405 plant taxa endemic to the Sierra, and 218 taxa considered rare.

Wild Plants of the Sierra Nevada inventories the flora of the entire range, including comprehensive descriptions of the plants; their traditional uses as food, medicine, or for making tools and other utensils; and their habitat; plus "quick keys" to help identify similar species. The authors’ introduction describes the natural history and ecology of Sierra Nevada plants in terms of plant communities and life zones, addressing the impact of such variables as climate, elevation, soil, and precipitation. They also outline the basic principles of ethnobotany, the role of plants in nutrition and human medicine, the classification of plants, and methods of collecting plant specimens and protecting rare species. The plant descriptions are accompanied by line drawings of each major species, and the book includes a table of Sierra Nevada habitats and their associated plants, along with a list of threatened, endangered, and sensitive plant species found in the range. Wild Plants of the Sierra Nevada is an essential guide for botanists, outdoors aficionados, and anyone interested in the intricate connections between plants, their environment, and our human species.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

82 line drawings, 2 maps

About the Author

Ray S. Vizgirdas is a fish and wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Boise, Idaho. He holds concurrent positions as an instructor of field biology at the University of California, Riverside, and at Idaho State University.

Edna M. Rey-Vizgirdas is a forest botanist in the Boise National Forest. She also teaches field biology courses at the University of California, Riverside, and at Idaho State University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: University of Nevada Press (October 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874175356
• ISBN-13: 978-0874175356
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,610,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Save your money..., January 29, 2007

By 

Steve Tyron - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wild Plants Of The Sierra Nevada (Hardcover)

I am very disappointed in this book.

From the Introduction: "Common names for plants can be misleading and do not always distinguish among the species. Additionally a plant known by a common name in one region may have another common name elsewhere, leading to further confusion. However, common names have been retained because they are generally of more interest." Then the book presents the plants alphabetically by common name. Of course this presumes that I even *know* common names for plants I know by botanical nomenclature.

Clearly I was wearing botany blinders when I read the description, saw, "an essential guide for botanists" and thought it might be a good addition to my library. It should be called "Eating the Plants of the Sierra" because it is all about the ethno botany, hardly bothering to offer more than a few one-line descriptions of a "key characteristic" to help you realize that out of a particular group of related plants, some are edible, some are not.

It's ironic that Amazon is pairing this book with Weedon's "Sierra Nevada Flora"; while "Wild Plants" acknowledges that "various keys are adapted from several sources, including ...Weedon.", what the book does NOT report is that there are direct remarks in "Wild Plants" that are almost identical to remarks made by Weedon; about Snowplant (Sarcodes sanguinea): Weedon says, "Stalks edible when cooked like asparagus; however this plant is rare and protected by law."; "Wild Plants" says: This fleshy plant is edible when prepared like asparagus. However, this is a protected and rare plant..." adding that you should only eat one in a emergency! I'm still trying to imagine being stuck in a bad situation with only my stove, a steamer and some hollandaise!

IF your primary interest is in learning about native uses of plants, this might be a better book than I realize. Aside from just about everything seeming to be a cure for toothaches or some sort of bleeding, I also learned this "Interesting fact: Small-flowered collinsia was used to make a horse run fast and was used externally for sore flesh." So I guess if you are on a slow horse, bleeding, and happen to ride by some small-flowered collinsia (and recognize it), you are going to be in luck.

Ready to snack on something from the carrot family? Cautiously go through the ways to prepare delicious Lomatium ("Caution: SOME species were too resinous to enjoy") but don't stop short of reading about Poison Hemlock (described but not illustrated) which is described as "a painless way to die!"

The book actually mentions that some plants are rare, then goes on to suggest that if you want to try eating them you should do so with moderation. "If you decide to harvest plants, it is important to harvest them with wisdom and respect."

Bottom line: this book, with misspelled plant names (a few found so far), minimal identification information, and that odd common-name thing, is not worth $40 unless you are a pharmacist.

5.0 out of 5 stars get to know your environment, December 26, 2011

By 

meadow mania - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wild Plants of the Sierra Nevada (Paperback)

I find this to be an excellent companion in my study of traditional and medicinal uses of Sierra plants. I have a large collection of plant identification guides, but when I want to know more about any particular find, I go straight to the "Wild Plants of the Sierra Nevada" and look up those "interesting facts." Thank you for passing on this incredible and important knowledge!

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An in-depth, species-by-species guide to wild plants including black-and-white illustrations of each specimen, November 15, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wild Plants of the Sierra Nevada (Paperback)

Biologist Ray S. Vizgirdas and former botanist and field biologist Edna M. Rey-Vizgirdas present Wild Plants of the Sierra Nevada, an in-depth, species-by-species guide to wild plants including black-and-white illustrations of each specimen. Each entry includes a text description as well as the picture, a list of interesting facts (such as medicinal uses), and the plant's scientific name. Overview sections, appendices, a glossary, and a list of recommended additional reading round out this useful and informative field guide.