Colorado Flora

Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope, Fourth Edition A Field Guide to the Vascular Plants

William A. Weber
Ronald C. Wittmann
with the assistance of Linna Weber Müller-Wille
Copyright Date: 2012
Published by: University Press of Colorado
Pages: 555
https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46ntkd
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  • Book Info
    Colorado Flora
    Book Description:

    Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope describes the remarkable flora of the state, distinctive in its altitudinal range, numerous microhabitats, and ancient and rare plants. Together with Colorado Flora: Western Slope, Fourth Edition, these volumes are designed to educate local amateurs and professionals in the recognition of vascular plant species and encourage informed stewardship of our biological heritage.   These thoroughly revised and updated editions reflect current taxonomic knowledge. The authors describe botanical features of this unparalleled biohistorical region and its mountain ranges, basins, and plains and discuss plant geography, giving detailed notes on habitat, ecology, and range. The keys recount interesting anecdotes and introductions for each plant family. The book is rounded out with historical background of botanical work in the state, suggested readings, glossary, index to scientific and common names, references, and hundreds of illustrations. The books also contain a new contribution from Donald R. Farrar and Steve J. Popovich on moonworts. The fourth editions of Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope and Colorado Flora: Western Slope are ideal for both student and scientist and essential for readers interested in Colorado's plant life.

    eISBN: 978-1-60732-141-5
    Subjects: Biological Sciences, Botany & Plant Sciences, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Table of Contents

  1. Front Matter
    (pp. i-viii)
  2. Table of Contents
    (pp. ix-x)
  3. PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION
    (pp. xi-xii)
    W. A. Weber and R. C. Wittmann
  4. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    (pp. xiii-xiv)
    W. A. Weber and R. C. Wittmann
  5. BACKGROUND OF FLORISTIC WORK IN COLORADO
    (pp. xv-xxvi)
    William A. Weber

    Our knowledge of floras have their beginnings with the collecting of botanical specimens. Fortunately the habit of establishing herbaria, collections of dried plants, began long ago, perhaps in Italy. Reports not backed up by specimens in an herbarium are useless hearsay. These collections must be guarded from abuse, carelessness, and destruction by wars, for the very basis of our knowledge of plants rests on these. The actual specimen upon which a plant name is based is called a type specimen. Linnaeus’ type specimens are deep underground in a bombproof vault in London. At the very end of hostilities in World...

  6. BOOKS TO INSPIRE
    (pp. xxvii-xxviii)
  7. A VADE MECUM FOR THE FIELD BOTANIST
    (pp. xxix-liv)

    Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope has as its subject the vascular plants—ferns, gymnosperms, and flowering plants—native and naturalized on the entire hydrologic Eastern Slope of Colorado from the Continental Divide to the Wyoming, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and New Mexico borders. It is a rich and varied territory, comprising a large segment of the Great Plains, the foot-hills and high peaks of the Rocky Mountains, and the interior intermountain “parks.” Edwin James, while participating in the Long Expedition of 1820, was the person to collect plants on Pikes Peak. The botanist C. C. Parry, in 1861 and 1862, explored for the...

  8. KEY TO THE FAMILIES
    (pp. 1-16)
  9. FERNS AND FERN ALLIES
    (pp. 17-37)
  10. GYMNOSPERMS
    (pp. 38-41)
  11. ANGIOSPERMS (Monocots and Dicots)
    (pp. 42-384)
  12. FIGURES
    (pp. 385-490)
  13. REFERENCES
    (pp. 491-496)
  14. INDEX
    (pp. 497-529)
  15. GLOSSARY
    (pp. 530-549)
  16. Illustrated Plant Structures
    (pp. 550-555)