"In his tenth book covering the wild orchids of North America, botanist Paul Martin Brown turns to the Lone Star State. From the Big Thicket to the Big Bend, from the panhandle to the coastal plains, FIELD GUIDE TO THE WILD ORCHIDS OF TEXAS is the first native orchid field guide to cover all of the state's eco-regions. In addition to the many insider orchid-hunting tips Brown provides, he also recommends trip itineraries offering the fullest viewing of native orchids at their peak seasons. This handy guide covers more than 50 species and varieties, several of which are new to Texas and, in some cases, even brand-new to the orchid world. Brown also covers numerous color and growth forms. FIELD GUIDE TO THE WILD ORCHIDS OF TEXAS includes all the essential tools-field photographs, diagnostic line drawings, and useful reference keys-to quickly and easily identify an orchid discovered in the wild. A checklist of the state's wild orchids and charts listing optimal flowering times and distribution by region make this a user-friendly year-round guide. Though many may not realize it, Texas is home to some of the rarest orchid species in the world. FIELD GUIDE TO THE WILD ORCHIDS OF TEXAS is a valuable and comprehensive resource for the casual hiker and lover of the outdoors."--BOOK JACKET.

This profusely illustrated field guide covers the 31 species of orchids that grow wild in California. The first book on California's native orchids, it will be a valuable resource for professionals and hobbyists alike. The Wild Orchids of California is an impressive extension of Ronald A. Coleman's wide fieldwork, literature review, and herbarium research. Written in a clear narrative style, Coleman's species accounts describe the plants and flowers, their habitats, distribution, pollinators, and blooming season.

"Based on groundbreaking research that has the power to change the lives of countless children--and the adults who love them." --Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts. A book that offers hope and a pathway to success for parents, teachers, psychologists, and child development experts coping with difficult children. In Tom Boyce's extraordinary new book, he explores the "dandelion" child (hardy, resilient, healthy), able to survive and flourish under most circumstances, and the "orchid" child (sensitive, susceptible, fragile), who, given the right support, can thrive as much as, if not more than, other children. Boyce writes of his pathfinding research as a developmental pediatrician working with troubled children in child-development research for almost four decades, and explores his major discovery that reveals how genetic make-up and environment shape behavior. He writes that certain variant genes can increase a person's susceptibility to depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and antisocial, sociopathic, or violent behaviors. But rather than seeing this "risk" gene as a liability, Boyce, through his daring research, has recast the way we think of human frailty, and has shown that while these "bad" genes can create problems, they can also, in the right setting and the right environment, result in producing children who not only do better than before but far exceed their peers. Orchid children, Boyce makes clear, are not failed dandelions; they are a different category of child, with special sensitivities and strengths, and need to be nurtured and taught in special ways. And in The Orchid and the Dandelion, Boyce shows us how to understand these children for their unique sensibilities, their considerable challenges, their remarkable gifts.

This original work makes unprecedented use of some of the most important research to date in plant ecology. It is a guide for assessing site quality, that is, the climate and soil of particular forest and non-forest ecosystems. Foresters have long been interested in using plants as indicators in predicting the growth performance of reforestation sites, but the data have not been readily available. Indicator Plants of Coastal British Columbia fully discusses how indicator plants are recognized and demonstrates how indicator plants can be used in site diagnosis. The book presents colour illustrations and descriptions of 419 selected vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens of coastal British Columbia. Indicators with similar values are grouped into indicator species groups which are used to evaluate site quality. These data are supplemented by information on geographic distribution, life-form, shade tolerance, and other ecological characteristics of the species. Three methods are given on how to use indicator plants for the purpose of site diagnosis. Indicator Plants of Coastal British Columbia summarizes original research in a format which both students and practitioners will find easy to use.

“Showcases the many weird and wonderful ways plants adapt to survive and spread their progeny . . . A great book for anyone interested in botany” (The Gardener). Whether it’s an arctic heather that can create subtropical conditions within its leaves, or a dwarf mistletoe that can shoot its seeds up to fifty feet away, plants demonstrate remarkable strategies in coping with and surviving their environments. Plants are often exposed to bitter cold, relentless winds, intense heat, drought, fire, pollution, and many other adverse growing conditions. Yet they are still able to survive and often even thrive. This book showcases these exceptional plants with absorbing information and stunning photos that will inspire a new respect for nature’s innovation and resilience. “From hummingbirds on the high slopes of the Andes to sugarbirds on the South African Cape, Vernon takes the reader on an awe-inducing journey to discover the secret life of pollinators and the plants that depend upon them. . . . You’ll delight in the surprising, unusual, and downright amazing strategies plants use to cope and copulate.” —Sierra