Book Review: A Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida

This long-awaited guide to the complete vascular flora of Florida has finally arrived. It covers over 4,000 taxa that are native or naturalized in Florida: from the panhandle and peninsula to the tropics and the keys. Endemics and exotics are identified by special symbols in the text, and even plants not seen for a hundred years are included. As one who visits Florida from time to time, and seeks a better understanding of the varied flora, I found this new book a joy to have and hold. We have all been frustrated by the long-time lack of a modern flora for northeastern Florida (there are some species found only there). In addition to remedying that shortcoming, this new volume completes the heretofore-fragmented picture of plant distributions across the state based on the currently available regional floras (good as they are).