California Plant Families: West of the Sierran Crest and Deserts    by Glenn Keator Order:  USA  Can University of California, 2009 (2009) Hardcover, Softcover     Reviewed by Bob Walch Although interest is high in California's beautiful native trees, shrubs and wildflowers, identification and classification of the state's vast and varied flora can be a real challenge for amateurs and professionals. This paperback offers a wonderful means of learning how to identify California's native and naturalized plants by recognizing plant families. User friendly keys and descriptions of seventy major families found in the wildlands will make the task much easier. No matter where you wander, from the border area of Oregon to Baja California, with this book in hand, you'll find it is much easier to identify common native and naturalized species. The entries feature key characteristics, possible confusions with families of similar appearance, the size and economic uses of each family and summaries of major genera and species. Margaret Steunenberg's 405 line drawings of plant habits, leaves, flowers, flower details and fruits enhance the text and make fieldwork much easier. Finally, a helpful glossary of technical terms and indexes of common and scientific names round out this excellent plant resource. When you venture into the mountains or high deserts, this is a book you certainly don't want to leave behind if you are bent on viewing the state's diverse flora. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews