by Ray S. Vizgirdas
Sounds like an interesting book, but the only reader that gave a critique didn't like the book, especially because common names govern both the dialogue and the ability to search for particular plants. The review also says that cultural relations with certain plants swayed how much information was included with the entries. Still, even a book about plants in the Sierra that are only known because of their cultural significance would make for an interesting book. If this were the case, the importance given to the common names would make more sense. Yet, of course it is true that the scientific name of any plant will get you the information you need much faster and more exactly than a common name can.
What the book promotes:
The first comprehensive look at the many uses, from historical to pharmacological, of vascular plants found in the Sierra Nevada. The Sierra Nevada of California and Nevada is the longest continuous mountain range in the United States. Covering about 20 percent of Californias land base and part of western Nevada, it offers an exceptional variety of topographic relief and environmental conditions that allow for a high diversity of plant species, many of them endemic to the range. The Sierra contains over 50 percent of Californias total flora, approximately 405 plant taxa endemic to the Sierra, and 218 taxa considered rare.
Wild Plants of the Sierra Nevada inventories the flora of the entire range, including comprehensive descriptions of the plants; their traditional uses as food, medicine, or for making tools and other utensils; and their habitat; plus "quick keys" to help identify similar species. The authors introduction describes the natural history and ecology of Sierra Nevada plants in terms of plant communities and life zones, addressing the impact of such variables as climate, elevation, soil, and precipitation. They also outline the basic principles of ethnobotany, the role of plants in nutrition and human medicine, the classification of plants, and methods of collecting plant specimens and protecting rare species. The plant descriptions are accompanied by line drawings of each major species, and the book includes a table of Sierra Nevada habitats and their associated plants, along with a list of threatened, endangered, and sensitive plant species found in the range. Wild Plants of the Sierra Nevada is an essential guide for botanists, outdoors aficionados, and anyone interested in the intricate connections between plants, their environment, and our human species.
Note: For those interested in what grows here in Nevada, we have the Native and Naturalized Plants of Nevada Index, courtesy of the USDA.