Wildflowers and Grasses Of Kansas
Details
Wildflowers and Grasses of Kansas
A Field Guide
Michael J. Haddock
How do you know when you're face to face with a fringe-leaf ruellia? Is that particular flower button gayfeather or dotted gayfeather? And what about the pod clinging to your pants-could it have come from a pointed-leaf tick-trefoil?
For anyone venturing out into the wilds of Kansas and contiguous states, identifying plants just got a whole lot easier. This is the first book on Kansas wildflowers or weeds to appear in 25 years. It supersedes earlier guides not only in the number of species it includes—plus its coverage of grasses—but also in its spectacular, true-to-life color photos.
Michael Haddock has assembled a guide to 264 wildflowers along with 59 grasses, sedges, and rushes. These comprise many of the state's most common and conspicuous species—as well as some seldom encountered or listed in field guides—and include many that are found throughout the Great Plains.
Wildflowers are arranged first by dominant color groups for quick identification, then by family within each color category so that the user can compare a species with similarly colored flowers. Each entry for flower or grass includes a complete profile for any given plant: scientific name, family, common name(s), flowering period, height, distribution and habitat, life span, basic morphological characteristics, and notes on historical food and medicinal uses where applicable.
The book also features "finding aids" that allow one to narrow a specimen to a smaller number of possible matches-sometimes more quickly than by comparing it to the photos. These lists were created with the non-specialist in mind and are based on basic vegetative and floral features that are usually easy to determine.
Perfect for backpack or glove compartment, Wildflowers and Grasses of Kansas offers a wealth of quick-access information graced with color that leaps off the page, making plant identification a joy rather than a chore. It's a book guaranteed to send even chronic homebodies out into the Great Outdoors in search of these elusive blooms.
“This stunning field guide . . . illustrates 264 wildflowers and 59 grasses, sedges and rushes commonly found in Kansas. . . . A handy guide for . . . anyone interested in the flowering plants of the central Great Plains. It fits nicely in a fanny pack! Every school, municipal, and college library in the region should have a copy of this book on their shelf—and you should have a copy to take with you the next time you drive through Kansas!”
—Plant Science Bulletin
“A robust compilation. . . . [that] contains color photographs and descriptions for more than 300 species. . . . A worthwhile book for a wide audience with interest in Kansas plants—from casual nature enthusiasts to students, land managers, and ranchers. It contains a wealth of accurate information, a plethora of high quality images,and comes at a bargain price. . . . This will be a useful tool throughout the Central Great Plains.”
—Great Plains Research
“A publication any plant enthusiast should own.”
—Plants for the Heartland
“The content and arrangement of the book shows thoughtful consideration for the reader. This arrangement, and the presentation, ensures the book will be useful to a wide audience of Kansas’s plant fans from the casual observer to the more serious enthusiast looking for in-depth information. ”
—The Tallgrass Gazette
“A must-have field guide for botanists, prairie enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the natural history of Kansas and the Great Plains. Haddock’s splendid photographs, non-technical descriptions, and finding lists ensure you wont want this handy reference far from reach.”
—Craig C. Freeman, coauthor of Roadside Wildflowers of the Southern Great Plains
“The most in-depth and colorful guide yet available for Kansas wildflowers. It’s not only a handy guide to traveling the state’s byways and special wild places, but also champions the surprising diversity found in the region.”
—Kelly Kindscher, author of Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie
“Haddock’s stunning photos reveal both the beauty of Kansas plants and the details of the key traits for identification.”
—David C. Hartnett, director of the Konza Prairie Biological Station
A Field Guide
Michael J. Haddock
How do you know when you're face to face with a fringe-leaf ruellia? Is that particular flower button gayfeather or dotted gayfeather? And what about the pod clinging to your pants-could it have come from a pointed-leaf tick-trefoil?
For anyone venturing out into the wilds of Kansas and contiguous states, identifying plants just got a whole lot easier. This is the first book on Kansas wildflowers or weeds to appear in 25 years. It supersedes earlier guides not only in the number of species it includes—plus its coverage of grasses—but also in its spectacular, true-to-life color photos.
Michael Haddock has assembled a guide to 264 wildflowers along with 59 grasses, sedges, and rushes. These comprise many of the state's most common and conspicuous species—as well as some seldom encountered or listed in field guides—and include many that are found throughout the Great Plains.
Wildflowers are arranged first by dominant color groups for quick identification, then by family within each color category so that the user can compare a species with similarly colored flowers. Each entry for flower or grass includes a complete profile for any given plant: scientific name, family, common name(s), flowering period, height, distribution and habitat, life span, basic morphological characteristics, and notes on historical food and medicinal uses where applicable.
The book also features "finding aids" that allow one to narrow a specimen to a smaller number of possible matches-sometimes more quickly than by comparing it to the photos. These lists were created with the non-specialist in mind and are based on basic vegetative and floral features that are usually easy to determine.
Perfect for backpack or glove compartment, Wildflowers and Grasses of Kansas offers a wealth of quick-access information graced with color that leaps off the page, making plant identification a joy rather than a chore. It's a book guaranteed to send even chronic homebodies out into the Great Outdoors in search of these elusive blooms.
“This stunning field guide . . . illustrates 264 wildflowers and 59 grasses, sedges and rushes commonly found in Kansas. . . . A handy guide for . . . anyone interested in the flowering plants of the central Great Plains. It fits nicely in a fanny pack! Every school, municipal, and college library in the region should have a copy of this book on their shelf—and you should have a copy to take with you the next time you drive through Kansas!”
—Plant Science Bulletin
“A robust compilation. . . . [that] contains color photographs and descriptions for more than 300 species. . . . A worthwhile book for a wide audience with interest in Kansas plants—from casual nature enthusiasts to students, land managers, and ranchers. It contains a wealth of accurate information, a plethora of high quality images,and comes at a bargain price. . . . This will be a useful tool throughout the Central Great Plains.”
—Great Plains Research
“A publication any plant enthusiast should own.”
—Plants for the Heartland
“The content and arrangement of the book shows thoughtful consideration for the reader. This arrangement, and the presentation, ensures the book will be useful to a wide audience of Kansas’s plant fans from the casual observer to the more serious enthusiast looking for in-depth information. ”
—The Tallgrass Gazette
“A must-have field guide for botanists, prairie enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the natural history of Kansas and the Great Plains. Haddock’s splendid photographs, non-technical descriptions, and finding lists ensure you wont want this handy reference far from reach.”
—Craig C. Freeman, coauthor of Roadside Wildflowers of the Southern Great Plains
“The most in-depth and colorful guide yet available for Kansas wildflowers. It’s not only a handy guide to traveling the state’s byways and special wild places, but also champions the surprising diversity found in the region.”
—Kelly Kindscher, author of Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie
“Haddock’s stunning photos reveal both the beauty of Kansas plants and the details of the key traits for identification.”
—David C. Hartnett, director of the Konza Prairie Biological Station