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Reviewed by:
  • Kansas Wildflowers and Weeds by Michael John Haddock, Craig C. Freeman, Janét Bare
  • James H. Locklear
Kansas Wildflowers and Weeds. By Michael John Haddock, Craig C. Freeman, and Janét Bare. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2015. vii + 517 pp. Illustrations, map, works cited, index. $39.95 cloth.

I ordered a copy of Kansas Wildflowers and Weeds as soon as it became available from the University Press of Kansas. I have long treasured my copy of the book’s predecessor, Wildflowers and Weeds of Kansas (published in 1979), and was excited to see this new book. It did not disappoint.

Kansas Wildflowers and Weeds is a big book, in more ways than one. Its large size, 12 inches (30 centimeters) tall and nine inches (23 centimeters) wide, makes it more of a desktop reference than a guide you would take to the field. But the large format allows for the coverage of a lot of species and a wealth of photographs. The book has descriptions of 1,163 species, slightly more than half the native and naturalized vascular plants of Kansas, and features 742 color photographs. The price, $39.95, is very reasonable for such an authoritative, comprehensive, well-illustrated book.

The content of Kansas Wildflowers and Weeds reflects the latest scientific understanding of the plant life of the state and the most up-to-date nomenclature. Collectively, the authors have many decades of firsthand experience with the flora of Kansas, imparting authenticity and authority to the text.

The book begins with a helpful overview of the climate and physiographic regions of Kansas. This is followed by a series of identification keys to guide the reader to the family in which a plant in question is classified. Additional keys at the family and genus levels help the reader determine the actual species of the plant.

For each of the species covered, the authors provide the necessary descriptive information along with a summary of ecological associations and areas of distribution within Kansas. One unique feature is the inclusion of a coefficient of conservatism ranking for each species, a value of 0 to 10 that estimates a species’ fidelity with natural communities such as prairies and woodlands. [End Page 144] Interesting ethnobotanical information is also provided where relevant.

The photography consists mostly of closeup images of flowers or images of flower clusters (inflorescences). Almost entirely the work of the two senior authors, the high-quality photos are not only helpful for identification purposes but also make the book a pleasure for casual browsing.

Janét Bare’s 1979 Wildflowers and Weeds of Kansas is acknowledged as the starting point for Kansas Wild-flowers and Weeds. The new book covers 332 more species and incorporates knowledge of biogeography and ecology gained from an additional four decades of field study across the state. The only element lacking in the new book is the fascinating information on pollination biology woven by Bare into many of her species descriptions. My recommendation: order the new book and start searching for a used copy of the older one!

While Kansas Wildflowers and Weeds is a must-have for Kansas botanists, resource managers, horticulturists, and native plant enthusiasts, most of the species profiled range well beyond the state’s borders, making it a valuable and important resource for much of the Great Plains.

James H. Locklear
Lauritzen Gardens
Omaha, Nebraska
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