identifying umbellifers - a handbook

[Lou]

I want a book that id's umbellifers, the only things I can find on Amazon are these two oldish books:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Umbellifers...0316/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310645089&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Umbellifers...802X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1310645567&sr=8-3


does any one own one of these books and/or know what is inside them - i.e. whether they have decent drawings and descriptions or will be a waste of time?

If not, does anyone know of a great site that has everything you need for umbellifer ID'ing?

thanks.

 

[Geoff Dann]

Probably your best bet:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wild-Flower-Key-Revised-identify/dp/0723251754

Don't expect it to be easy though...

 

[Toddy]

I have the first one you link to, and tbh it's neither an easy read, or simple to identify anything using it.

I'm not saying it's bad, just that one does rather have to take on the mind set of the person who wrote the booklet (it's really just a shire booklet).

We are rather spoiled nowadays by the ease of finding information. The book predates that ease. It's also not much on photos of colour, either.

The plant id book that Geoff mentions is a much better bet.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Lou]

Thanks Geoff, I had thought of buying this wildflower book. At the moment I am using Roger Philips Wild Flowers, but it just takes me ages to find the plant and then the details of the umbellifers, like 'hairy stem' or 'smells like aniseed' are just not in there. Will look into this!!!

 

[Geoff Dann]

Thanks Geoff, I had thought of buying this wildflower book. At the moment I am using Roger Philips Wild Flowers, but it just takes me ages to find the plant and then the details of the umbellifers, like 'hairy stem' or 'smells like aniseed' are just not in there. Will look into this!!!

I haven't got Phillips' wildflower book, but his mushroom book is my Bible. One copy lasts me about two years.

Whatever you do, don't buy the following book. It is touted as a revolutionary new key to identifying British flora when not in flower. The botanists are raving about it. Unfortunately, unless you are botanist, it might as well be written in Russian.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vegetative-Key-British-Flora/dp/0956014402

 

[Toddy]

I've been eyeing that one. Is it really that difficult to make sense of ?
I'm not a botanist, but I do a fair bit of ethnobotany and some archaeobotany, so I'm not totally in the dark.

cheers,
Toddy