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New Books

Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 5:57 pm
by peterb
I've been ordering a lot of books lately.

Ariocarpus Etc: The Special, Smaller Genera of Mexican Cacti, John Pilbeam and Bill Weightman, BCSS

A Cactus Odyssey: Journeys in the Wilds of Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina, James D Mauseth, Roberto Kiesling and Carlos Ostolaza, Timber Press

The Native Cacti of California, Lyman Benson, Stanford University Press

Cactus of Arizona Field Guide, Nora and Rick Bowers and Stan Tekiela, Adventure Publications

Cacti of Texas: A Field Guide, A. Michael Powell, James F. Weedin and Shirley A. Powell, Texas Tech University Press

Cacti, Agaves, and Yuccas of California and Nevada, Stephen Ingram, Cachuma Press

Agaves of Continental North America, Howard Scott Gentry, The University of Arizona press

Lots of reading and study for when it's too darned hot to go out side this summer. :-)

So far I have read A Cactus Odyssey and delved into Ariocarpus, Etc and both are highly recommended, despite some drawbacks. I decided to get The Cacti of Texas despite already having the more technical Cacti of the Trans-Pecos and Adjacent Regions, because the field guide seems more useful in the field. Go figure. :-)

I wish someone would write a cactus flora of New Mexico.

Maybe over the summer or sometime I'll post some little reviews of some of these.

peterb

Re: New Books

Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 8:50 pm
by bruno
peterb wrote:.... I decided to get The Cacti of Texas despite already having the more technical Cacti of the Trans-Pecos and Adjacent Regions, because the field guide seems more useful in the field. Go figure. :-)

I wish someone would write a cactus flora of New Mexico.
peterb
Great titles Peter, I have both, the field guide being nice and handier, worth even limited to trips in the green house :)

I wish that also!

Re: New Books

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 12:25 am
by daiv
Peter,
I have some of those titles and others I've been thinking about, but haven't delved in. If I don't break down and just buy some of those, your reviews would be welcome.
peterb wrote: I wish someone would write a cactus flora of New Mexico.
I know this guy who really knows U.S. cacti and has excellent writing skills too. I think he lives in the Phoenix area. 8)

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 5:45 am
by peterb
Ha, well, I would jump in with Brack, Ferguson, Heil, Zimmerman, Minnich and Romero to help.

peterb

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 1:49 pm
by daiv
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention - this guy has connections too! :wink:

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 2:52 pm
by peterb
Heros, more like. :-) New Mexico is an interesting subject for a cactus flora. State floras, on the one hand, are highly artificial. But on the other hand, I have found these sorts of limited studies helpful for piecing together a bigger picture of our favorite plants.

peterb

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 4:19 pm
by CoronaCactus
I have books 3, 4, 5 and 6 you listed, definetely recommended.
I read the Texas feild guide cover to cover the 1st day I got it :)