Field Guide To Grasses Of The Mid Atlantic

"A superb guidebook for amateur naturalists, students in a variety of ecology-oriented courses, and gardeners who wish to assess new species."—American Horticulturist Beggar's ticks and marsh pink. Tearthumbs and chairmaker's rush. Live oak, pitch pine, wild black cherry, sassafras, and loblolly pine. From eelgrass rooted in wrack lines on windswept back shores to hardy maritime forests sculpted by strong winds and salt spray, the Mid-Atlantic coast is rich with a variety of habitats and an abundance of common, if not always familiar, plants. In Common Plants of the Mid-Atlantic Coast, Gene M. Silberhorn provides a field guide to the plants found along the coast from Long Island Sound to North Carolina's barrier islands. This introduction to the fragile ecology and remarkable beauty of the flora of the coastal region was highly praised by reviewers when it was first published in 1982. This revised edition retains the features that earned it acclaim and provides a wealth of new information. The three sections of the book correspond to the natural divisions of the landscape: Section One covers beaches, dunes, and marine forests; Section Two includes salt and brackish marshes; and Section Three reviews plants found in tidal and nontidal freshwater wetlands. Each section of Common Plants begins with an introduction that describes the characteristics of the area and the flora to be found there. Individual plant entries follow. Delicate illustrations accompany facing page descriptions that aid in identification and provide concise background information, as well as delightful anecdotes. An easy- to-use key helps readers identify plants in the field according to physical features. Plant entries now includes the subheadings: "Growth Habit and Diagnostic Characteristics," where the reader will find descriptions of general appearance, "Distribution," which tells where along the coast the plant is found, "Habitat," and, particularly important in this age of heightened environmental awareness, "Ecological Value/Benefits." The author has also added each plant's "Wetland Indicator Status," which estimates a species' frequency of occurrence in wetland habitats. Seventeen species have been added to this fully updated second edition. The appendices now include websites for various federal and state, coastal parks, refuges, and natural areas.

Grasses are among the most ubiquitous plants on the planet. They inhabit a wide geographic range and are found in a variety of natural habitats. The small parts of the grass flower and specialized terminology, however, can make identifying grasses a challenging endeavor. Sarah Chamberlain’s Field Guide to Grasses of the Mid-Atlantic makes identification simpler for everyone—regardless of their previous botanical knowledge. Featuring an easy-to-use dichotomous key, this is a user-friendly guide to more than 300 types of grasses found from the Blue Ridge Mountains and southern plains to the Appalachians and the Allegheny Plateau. Each major entry contains detailed species diagrams as well as common names, habitats, and distribution. The book’s opening sections outline the parts of grass flowers and describe stem, leaf, and sheath characteristics. With a wealth of illustrations, instructions on how to use the key, and a glossary of terms, Field Guide to Grasses of the Mid-Atlantic is an indispensable reference for naturalists and conservationists, botanists, land management professionals, and students and scholars of mid-Atlantic flora.

Grasses are among the most ubiquitous plants on the planet. They inhabit a wide geographic range and are found in a variety of natural habitats. The small parts of the grass flower and specialized terminology, however, can make identifying grasses a challenging endeavor. Sarah Chamberlain’s Field Guide to Grasses of the Mid-Atlantic makes identification simpler for everyone—regardless of their previous botanical knowledge. Featuring an easy-to-use dichotomous key, this is a user-friendly guide to more than 300 types of grasses found from the Blue Ridge Mountains and southern plains to the Appalachians and the Allegheny Plateau. Each major entry contains detailed species diagrams as well as common names, habitats, and distribution. The book’s opening sections outline the parts of grass flowers and describe stem, leaf, and sheath characteristics. With a wealth of illustrations, instructions on how to use the key, and a glossary of terms, Field Guide to Grasses of the Mid-Atlantic is an indispensable reference for naturalists and conservationists, botanists, land management professionals, and students and scholars of mid-Atlantic flora.

How to identify 135 of the most common species of North American grasses, sedges, and rushes, with their economic and ecological importance.

With its clear descriptions and accurate drawings, this easy-to-carry little volume will allow you to differentiate over 370 of the most common species: timothy, rye, foxtail, fescue, bluegrass, and many more. 600 line drawings.

A practical and expertly illustrated field guide to over one hundred grasses, sedges, and rushes "No one will be able to claim that the identification of grasses, sedges, and rushes, which are of fundamental importance both environmentally and economically, are simply 'too difficult' after they have learned to use this excellent guide."--Peter Raven, President Emeritus, Missouri Botanical Garden This elegant and easy-to-use guide is an updated and amended revision of Lauren Brown's seminal Grasses: An Identification Guide, which was first published in 1979. While maintaining the spirit and goals of the original edition--a portable, straightforward, and user-friendly guide for naturalists and plant enthusiasts--the new edition features more than one hundred grasses, sedges, and rushes that are presented with line drawings and color photographs, concise descriptions, and details on the uses of various plants throughout history. In addition, the authors are careful to highlight the subtle differences in similar species to avoid confusion, as well as offering relevant notes on plant survival strategies, invasiveness, and how different plants fit within the broader ecological landscape. Devoid of technical jargon, this volume is an indispensable tool for those curious about the often-overlooked grasses, sedges, and rushes that surround us.

A beautifully illustrated field guide to the Mid-Atlantic region, from the Jersey Shore to Cape Hatteras The Outer Banks of North Carolina and the beaches of the Mid-Atlantic Coast are among the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. This book is a richly illustrated field guide that surveys the geology, environmental history, natural history, and human history of a region that spans the eastern seaboard from Sandy Hook in New Jersey south to Cape Hatteras on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It is organized around environments, not particular locations. Included are the geology of beaches and barrier islands, the environmental history of the region, as well as detailed looks at the natural history of beaches, dunes, maritime forests, coastal marshes, and estuaries. Also covered are issues involving human activity and climate change, which have become dominant forces shaping geophysical and biological environments. This guide will enable users to walk into a salt marsh or onto a beach and identify much of what they see.

This revised and expanded edition of mushroom expert Bill Russell’s popular Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic provides both novice and experienced mushroom foragers with detailed, easy-to-use information about more than one hundred species of these fungi, including twenty-five varieties not found in the previous guide. From the Morel to the Chanterelle to the aptly named Chicken of the Woods, mushrooms of the mid-Atlantic region can be harvested and enjoyed, if you know where to look. Each entry in this field guide contains a detailed description, current scientific classification, key updates and information from recent studies, and high-quality color photographs to aid in identification. Thoughtfully organized by season, the guide shows you how to locate and identify the most common mushrooms in the region and recognize look-alikes—and explains what to do with edible mushrooms once you’ve found them. Featuring over one hundred full-color illustrations and distilling Russell’s fifty years of experience in hunting, studying, and teaching about wild mushrooms, Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic is an indispensable reference for curious hikers, amateur biologists, adventurous chefs, and mycophiles of all stripes.

First published in 1987, Ralph W. Tiner's A Field Guide to Coastal Wetland Plants of the Northeastern United States soon established itself as the definitive work on its subject. Now Tiner has prepared a revised and expanded edition, broadening the coverage both botanically and geographically. It emphasizes plant identification and includes descriptions of over 700 species and illustrations of approximately 550 species. More tidal wetland types are covered (beaches, rocky shores, and tidal swamps) and the geographic scope extends as far north as Canada's Maritime Provinces.