Introduction to California Plant Life

California Natural History Guides #69

by Robert Ornduff, Phyllis M. Faber, Todd Keeler-Wolf

California’s unique plants range in size from the stately Coast Redwoods to the minute belly plants of the southern deserts and in age from the four-thousand year-old Bristlecone Pines to ephemeral annuals whose life span can be counted in weeks. Available at last in a thoroughly updated and revised edition, this popular book is the only concise overview of the state’s remarkable flora, its plant communities, and the environmental factors that shape them.

* 188 color photographs illustrate plants and typical plant communities around the state

* New chapters give expanded discussions of the evolution of the California landscape, recent changes in California's flora, and more

* Introduces basic concepts of plant taxonomy and plant ecology through clear examples and covers topics such as soil, climate, and geography

Genres: Science, Plants, Nonfiction, Environment, Nature

360 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Scott Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Professor Ornduff was my botany professor in college. He was an enthusiastic promoter of the preservation of California flora and an excellent educator regarding the state's distinctive plant communities and floral rarities. The ecological communities are well-summarized: Coastal Strand to Joshua Tree Woodland. Those interested in evolutionary botanical theory will find the chapters on Arcto-Tertiary and Madro-Tertiary flora to be especially interesting.