Hemmerly, Thomas E 2000 Appalachian...

Hemmerly, Thomas E 2000 Appalachian Wildflowers. The University of Georgia Pres Athens, Georgia. 327 Pages. $4500 hardback, $2295 paperback. ISBN 0-8203-2181-8

Claiming to conceal the herbaceous and showy wooded plants of the Appalachians from the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec to the Cumberland Plateau of Alabama, this attractive work joins an increasing number of popular publications that pay attention to ecology The introductory chapters deal with the various habitats and ecosystem telling a little of their main features and showing useful pictures of striking scenery. undivided of the best published pictures of heath balds I have seen is in succession page 29. The bulk of the volume is traditional pictures of wildflowers, arranged according to flower color, with a paragraph of useful and interesting information. individual good feature is that many species are shown in flower and fruit, in the appropriate color sections. united problem though - there is no mention in united section of the existence of the other. However, single in kind will get the idea if single looks in the index. The moot point of how to arrange the plants for the sake of general public use is an ancient one, and using color sections is generally a righteous solution. The notion of covering of the like kind an enormous and diverse region is a bigger puzzle and I think it is difficult to differentiate ingredients of the northern and southern extremes

The photos are generally useful though not outstanding. There is the usual mixture of an close-ups that do not help in recognizing the plant, and many not-so-close-ups that are better for field identification. The beauty of the plants ofttimes comes through, and the selection of species is real broad, making it widely useful everywhere the region. There are a scarcely any misidentifications, but the average reader will be impressed with the overall ease of use. Based in succession my own experience and observation, I can barely encourage authors and editors to double check the accuracy of their information before publishing.

The author is to be congratulated in his efforts to make a volume intended to help people view wildflowers in the words immediately preceding [i]or[/i] following of their environment. What is greatest in number noteworthy, however, is his recognition in the acknowledgments section of the influence of brace eminent ecologiste on his life and career, namely Elsie Quarterman and the late Catherine Keever The later actually contributed financially towards publication of this work As the future unfolds, and we be moved the loss of academic training in field biology, we will think back onward the days of the influence of capable naturalists in succession their students and the general public. I reliance we do not see a significant decrease in the number of habitats and plant species - or main division s about them and people to sing their praises.- T LAWRENCE MELLICHAMP, BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT, UNIVERSITY of NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 28223

T LAWRENCE MELLICHAMP, BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT, UNIVERSITY of NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 28223

Copyright Southern Appalachian Botanical Society Mar 2004

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