Grasses of the Texas Hill Country: A Field Guide

Preface

Preface As this work started, and at many times along the roads of Texas, people asked us why we would ever want to produce a book on grass. After the humor subsided, we told them of the abundance, variety, and importance of the many grass species of Texas. We told them about agricultural value and commercial importance, of land stabilization, aesthetic beauty, and of secondary uses by wildlife. After a further chat and a kind handshake, they left with a much deeper understanding. We feel this photographic identification guidebook is a useful tool for amateur and professional naturalists, ranchers, land stewards, educators, and many others interested in the natural science of Texas. Included in this easy-to-use field guide are seventy-nine of the most important grasses found in the region. Significant information about each grass is provided along with the identification photos. The information includes references to visual characteristics, but most importantly the text describes the supporting soil type, habitat, the grass’s value as a crop, and its other uses by wildlife, farmers, ranchers, and landscapers. Unlike more scientific works with complicated black-ink line drawings, this guide has neither the technical language nor specialized, hard-to-use keys of the academic botanist. It is designed to feature large, detailed closeup color photographs of each species. These, combined with color habitat images, illustrate the grasses. Special techniques and new technology in photographic films and color reproduction provide an excellent perspective of the grasses in a way that enables easy species field identification by the naturalist with a specimen in hand. Noted botanists, ranch managers, land stewards, and educators in natural science give the project praise. We hope it will become a well-used and most-enjoyed publication and a worthy resource for those who care about our natural environment. x preface ...