Brown Paul Martin, with drawings b...

Brown Paul Martin, with drawings by the agency of Stan Folsom. 2002. Wild Orchids of Florida with allusion to the Atlantic and engulfing sea Coastal Plains. University Press of Florida (http://wwwupfcom) Gainesville, Florida. 409 pages. 0-8130-2438-2 woven fabric $50.00; 0-8130-2439-0 Paper, $24.95

Based onward years of field experience with orchids and many thousands of miles of travel in Florida, Mr Brown's main division is a wonderful addition to the library and field kit of anyone interested in wild orchids of the southeast. Included are line drawings, distribution maps, guides more than 440 photographs, and detailed descriptions of 117 orchid taxa of Florida and nearby states in the southeastern coastal plain. The introductory material is an outstanding resource, including a quick chiding in "how to use a dichotomous key" that instigates into a useable and nicely illustrated tonic to genera. Reference and resource materials at the [i]finale[/i] of the book answer many questions about confusing species pairs, range-wide status of species, and tips and trips for finding orchids in Florida. In addition is a list of Florida's threatened and endangered orchid species, and a brief chapter upon orchid distributions and rarity status in adjacent states.

Some may marvel if any improvement is possible in succession "The Native Orchids of Florida," Dr Carl Luer's 1972 encyclopedic contortion First, those of us who are fortunate to have access to this out-of-print classic know that we would rather be ball than carry that book into the field. Mr Brown's work is small and light enough to take anywhere. inferior orchid taxonomy is an ever-changing wonder; those wishing to be circulating in their nomenclature will be glad for this update. And, third, Florida is a to a high degree different place than it was in the 1960 Large areas of then-undeveloped landscape now sport condos and golf resorts. upon the other hand, Florida's enormously luckily conservation land acquisition programs have, since 1979 brought into public ownership extensive tracts that were formerly in private hands and unavailable to botanical explorations. novel discoveries, some by Brown himself, have brought to light many changes in the status of Florida's orchid species, which are deliberateed in this book.

Each species account in Wild Orchids of Florida includes descriptions of the whole plant and of its leaves and flowers. Mr Brown has foregone the more arcane terminology and provided useable and accessible descriptions as well as a glossary. Included in the species accounts are Florida distribution maps, and information upon the species' range, flowering period, legal status, and habitat. A closing paragraph contains interesting information in succession the species' discovery in Florida, its rarity, life history, etc A minor complaint from someone who one time delineated wetlands for a living: I would have establish it useful to have the species' state and federal wetland status (FACW, OBL etc) mentioned in the account.

The photographs that accompany each species account were obviously prefered to show the plants in as many life stages and color forms as possible and to place the plant in its habitat-an indispensable aid to forming a search image for field work. In almost each case, the quality of the photographs and their reproduction are of high quality. The drawings are simple, charming and botanically accurate. This volume is a welcome newcomer to the naturalist's library!-LINDA G CHAFIN, SENIOR BOTANIST, FLORIDA NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY, FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY, TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32303

Copyright Southern Appalachian Botanical Society Jun 2002

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