The Guide to Oklahoma Wildflowers. 2011. 415 col. photogr. 1 col. map. 264 p. gr8vo. Paper bd.

With its Rocky Mountain foothills, hardwood forests, many rivers and streams, low mountains, sand dunes, cypress swamps, and wide swaths of rangeland and pastureland, the Great Plains state of Oklahoma is one of only four with more than ten ecoregions. Tallgrass, mixed-grass, and shortgrass prairies are native to large areas; rainfall and temperature are quite variable; and elevations drop from 5000 to 300 feet. This diversity ensures that Oklahoma is host to hundreds of species of wildflowers. The author has photographed and described the two hundred wildflower species that are most commonly seen along roadsides and in parks throughout the state. She provides at least two photos for each plant, showing the entire plant as it occurs in the wild, outside of cultivation, along with a close-up of its flower. Each plant is keyed to a particular geographical location and a particular family, and anindex to colors is a further aid to identification. If a species is native, the author presents this information in the text along with time of blooming, size and color of blooms, preferred habitat, and common and scientific names for all species.