Most people, even those with little or no formal training in botany, find flowering plants attractive and interesting and have developed a certain curiosity about the identity of the plants they encounter that grow without cultivation. The first of a series of three books, Spring Wildflowers of New Mexico is aguide to 366 species of spring-blooming wildflowers in the state. The authors have provided illustrations of each one, along with both scientific and common names, descriptions and key characters, and pertinent information about general habitat, geographical distribution, and elevational range. Included also are identification keys arranged both by general characteristics and by families and genera, giving the reader a simple method for identifying and locating in the book almost any spring wildflower, regardless of whether it is in bloom. Of more than four thousand species of plants growing wild in New Mexico, over a third of them can be designated as wildflowers. Because the state has a remarkable abundance of wildflowers throughout the widely various habitats, from the deserts of the southern portion of the state to the high mountains in the north, this compendium is a much needed addition to the botanical literature. With drawings and descriptions presented together on facing pages, this book is an easy-to-use and informative guide for anyone interested in learning about and identifying the flora of New Mexico.… (more)