SASKATCHEWAN WAYSIDE WILDFLOWERS

by Linda Kershaw
Lone Pine, soft cover $16.95

This Lone Pine botany guide provides three different ways to identify flowers: a colour guide to the flowers, a description of the major flower groups and a pictorial taxonomic key. This, along with the description of floral structures and extensive pictorial glossary, makes the book user friendly.

As the title of the book implies, the plants featured are herbaceous flowering plants that are commonly found in vacant lots and meadows, or along the trails, roads, sidewalks and pathways. Only one woody plant is mentioned and the graminoids are entirely absent, but several of the most common aquatic species are featured.

The species descriptions include a photograph of the overall plant and a close up of the flower. A small line drawing of the plant leaves would have improved the guide, as they are sometimes difficult to see in the photographs. However, a description of the leaves is included. Information on toxicity, edibility, traditional usage, etymology, and ecology is included in this section, along with a description of the plant morphology, habitat and distribution.

One unique feature is information on whether the species can be picked for wildflower bouquets or crafts. The author strongly discourages the picking of uncommon native plants like Yellow Lady's-slipper but encourages picking attractive but noxious weeds like common tansy and scentless chamomile. There is even a special chapter on flower projects for children.

The book is attractively laid out with thoughtful additions such as a wildflower checklist, a ruler on the back cover, and detailed descriptions of two plants to avoid: poison ivy and stinging nettle. I recommend the book for beginning botanists and families with children interested in nature. It is the kind of book that would be useful to take on family vacations and bird watching trips to identify flowers growing along roadsides or around wetlands.

Book review by Diana Bizecki Robson.