Aquatic Plants of Northern and Central Europe Including Great Britain and Ireland

Abstract

The introduction takes the reader back to early explorers of river systems and aquatic habits in the 1800s for the geographical areas highlighted in the book. Pages are filled with color photographs illustrating plant morphological examples along with taxonomic key couplets. Each species is profusely illustrated with line drawings and color photographs along with distribution maps. There is an illustrated glossary (pp. 728–733) that aids in interpreting the species descriptions. A literature citation section (pp. 734–738) is organized by topical headings, e.g., Species Identification and Biology. The Index of Latin Names locates the species by page numbers. I found this book easy to use because the authors have focused their attention on organization, function, and usability for the public, as well as aquatic taxonomists. Everything about this book is first class! The size and weight will limit its use in the field and will be more appropriate for in house laboratory or classroom use. The design, layout, printing, binding, and overall quality of the text is of exceptional high quality. I highly recommend this book for botanists interested in European aquatic habitats at a bargain price.