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This compact volume is a handy, thorough guide to the wild plants found in the small Middle Eastern nation of Oman. A short introduction provides an overview of Oman’s geography and remarkable environmental diversity, followed by catalog of more than 250 common species of plants, enhanced by color photographs designed to assist with quick identification in the field. Descriptive accounts—including details of habitat, uses, and worldwide distribution—round out the individual entries, while a glossary of botanical terms, a bibliography, and an index of scientific and vernacular names combine to make this an invaluable reference.

Southern Spain, and in particular Andalucia, is hope to many common garden plants, including daffodils, lavenders, and shrubs. At the same time, it is one of the most florally diverse regions in the world. This book covers that spectrum, from the commonplace to the astonishing.

Drawing on more than fifteen years of fieldwork in the region, Tony Hall details over five hundred different species in this volume, presenting all essential botanical information alongside more than six hundred photographs and distribution maps.  No one interested in the plants of this region will be able to forego this book.

            The Sierra Nevada of California and Nevada is the longest continuous mountain range in the United States. It 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 information about their habitat. The authors describe the natural history and ecology of Sierra Nevada plants in terms of plant communities and life zones, and outline the basic principles of ethnobotany, 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. 

            This text is an essential guide for botanists, outdoors aficionados, and anyone interested in the intricate connections between plants, their environment, and our human species.