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Book Review


Chris Thorogood - Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of

the Western Mediterranean

Royal Botanic Gardens, April 2016 - ISBN: 9781842466162

Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Western Mediterranean is the most comprehensive and up-to-date plant identification guide to the area. The western Mediterranean is one of the most important regions in the world for its outstanding biodiversity, boasting over 10,000 plant species.


The area covered encompasses southern Europe from the Portuguese Algarve in the west to Italy in the east, the islands (including the Balearic Islands, Corsica and Sardinia), and North Africa from Morocco in the west to Tunisia in the east. There are useful notes on the various wild flower habitats including classic garrigue and maquis through to freshwater aquatic wetland systems. The reader can thus gain a better understanding of the plant communities which contribute to the diversity of each specific location. The western Mediterranean basin has a different character and a distinct flora to that of the eastern Mediterranean and so this book is useful for visitors to the eight countries included.


Covering over 2,500 plants, this easy to use guide focuses on the most common and conspicuous species that occur in the area, with plant descriptions, colour photographs and illustrations throughout. As an example, there are thirteen species of Narcissus described, six of which occur in Portugal. A section on where to see wild flowers in the region is included, as well as a glossary of terms, English and scientific name indexes are also a valuable addition.


RETURN TO BOOK REVIEWS

The book focuses on the most common and conspicuous species that occur in the area but it also describes local rarities and endemics that are of interest in a particular region and well worth seeking out.  Where non-native species have naturalised and form a significant contribution to the flora, they are included to aid identification as it is not always obvious whether a plant is native or not.  There are sections on classification and identification with practical help on identifying plants by closely observing flower anatomy and plant structure. Finding the right plant family is the first step in making a specific identification and this book provides the basic information necessary – adding to the wonderful experience of encountering plants in the wild.


An ideal companion for wildlife and plant enthusiasts, this guide will enable you to reliably identify wild flowers in the field, using only one book for the large area covered is a definite advantage.


Review by Rosie Peddle - Mediterranean Gardening Association - Portugal


Chris Thorogood studied parasitic plant biology for his PhD at the University of Bristol where he then worked as a postdoctoral researcher. He currently studies the flora of the western Mediterranean basin and has a particular interest in parasitic plant speciation.

Chris is the co-author of Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Algarve
(Kew Publishing, 2014)

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