The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California

by James C. Hickman (Editor)

First published in 1925, Willis Linn Jepson's Manual of the Flowering Plants of California has been a standard reference for teachers, students, and naturalists. Since that time, hundreds of new species have been identified and botanical investigation has become more sophisticated. Now Jepson's philosophy of making such information available to all is again realized in this new volume, which includes a wealth of material accumulated over the past decades.

With contributions from two hundred botanists across North America, this is the most comprehensive resource and identification guide to nearly eight thousand varieties of native and naturalized California plants. The means to identify plants (using key traits and illustrations) is accompanied by special information such as horticultural requirements, endangerment, toxicity, weed status, and notes on the management of sensitive species. Identification keys have been designed for ease of use, and terms have been simplified and illustrated, making the new Manual the most authoritative field guide for the expert and amateur alike.

Genres: Reference, Science, Nature

1424 pages, Hardcover

First published March 24, 1993

Reviews

[Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuck if you wanna identify a plant in the California Floristic Province with absolute certainty this is the book for you. It's pretty intimidating and it takes a while to learn how to use it but once you get the hang of it you can flip through pretty quick. A science book for scientists

[Elijah Funk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for keying out plants. Geography and botany basics are extremely helpful.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a botanist in California, this is it. This is prettym uch the only current flora of the entire state, since 'Munz' is outdated. The keys are a royal pain at times (Don't bother trying to key a sedge, and apparently it is impossible to key to California Melic Grass no matter what) but nevertheless, it is a must-have

[Bramble · Rating 4 out of 5]

As good as a multi-authored flora can be, and a must have if you care about plants in the trans-montane West. All too often, the descriptions contain no more data than the keys. 4 stars when combined with the on-line supplements.

[Scott Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly appreciate the Jepson manual! It is an extremely valuable resource for keying out California botanical species. Many of us wish that we were better botanists, this manual is certainly a help towards that end!

[brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay, so i never read the jepson manual from cover to cover. who would? well... some people i suppose, but it was definitely a great reference and cost me a pretty penny.

[Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome, as long as you like plants and reference works. or you are a botanist.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than a Bible- it has _annotations_