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 Guide to the aloes of South Africa
This is a truly outstanding book for South African Aloe enthusiasts
of any level from beginner to expert. The authors recognized an
obvious vacuum in the literature on growing, collecting, and
conserving South African Aloes, and this work deftly bridges the gap
between peer reviewed botanical journals and elementary field
guides. The book brings together information on plant
characteristics, distribution, habitat, cultivation, uses, name
etymology, and endangered status. Each species description occupies
2 facing pages with textual content on the left and 1 or more
excellent photos of plants in habitat on the right. The content,
format, and style harmonize to make this book hard to lay down. It
is well worth its modest ...price. Highly recommended.
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Plant jewels of the high country; "sempervivums
and sedums," |
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Ecology of Desert Systems
by Walter Whitford
Explores a broad range of topics of interest
to ecosystem, population, community, and physiological
ecologists. Climate, weather patterns, geomorphology, and wind
and water processes are examined as variables that affect the
distribution of biota through fundamental ecosystem processes.
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 Encyclopedia
of Deserts
by Michael A. Mares (Editor), Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
This book seems to have everything there is about deserts. I
learned that deserts have lions, penguins, kangaroos, many
spiders, scorpions and other animals, even fish and frogs. There
are also many plants, with strange things like cactus and boojum
trees. Even elephants live in the desert. I think the book is
like an exploring trip from one desert to the other. |
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Asclepiadaceae |
  Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Asclepiadaceae
The Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants represents the first
comprehensive taxonomic treatment of succulents in thirty years. It
covers over 9000 taxa of all succulents except Cactaceae. This
volume on the Asclepiadaceae (milkweed family) presents all kinds of
succulent plants from geophytic Raphionacme, leaf succulent Hoya to
stem succulent Cynanchum and, of course, the popular stapeliads
(carrion flowers). A total of 1119 species are included; of the 70
genera treated, 49 are covered in their entirety. The most
species-rich assemblages are Ceropegia (lantern flowers) and
Brachystelma. For the latter a complete generic treatment is
presented for the first time. The handbook is devoted to a family
famous for their outstandingly complex and beautiful flowers and is
illustrated with 332 superb colour photos. Keys to genera are
provided; for all accepted taxa, descriptions including typification
and distributional data, full synonymy and literature references are
given.
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Good Reads & Reference Books |
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  Succulent Flora of Southern Africa
*****
Revised edition of a reference that deals with the six major groups
of succulent plants occurring in southern Africa: the
mesembryanthemaceae, portulacaceae, crassula-ceae, the succulent
euphorbieae, stapelieae and aloacceae, as well as a short chapter on
adenium, pachypodium and adenia. It includes revisions of genera and
descriptions of new species which have been published from 1980 to
2000. Wherever practical, the species are arranged geographically
with closely related species in sequence. Court is a research
associate of the Botany Department at Rhodes U. and a Fellow of the
Linnean Society.
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David Attenborough's Videos |
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 David
Attenborough's The Private Life of Plants: Branching Out
This documentary examines the seed, the earliest form of life for
plants, and the journey a seed takes before settling in soil and
growing roots. Sir David Attenborough narrates this and all
installments of the series The Private Life of Plants, this episode
depicting plants as highly savvy when it comes to seed transport --
utilizing animals, insects, water, and the wind. Learn how plants
spread their population by using diverse methods to propel their
seeds. The topics covered include aeronautical technology, the jet
propulsion of the squirting cucumber, and the violent explosion of
the Himalayan balsam. ~ Cecilia Cygnar, All Movie Guide
Other Titles in The Series:
David Attenborough's The Private Life of Plants: Birds & Bees
David Attenborough's The Private Life of Plants: Living Together
David Attenborough's The Private Life of Plants: Jungle Out There
David Attenborough's The Private Life of Plants: Plant Politics |
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