Review by Choice Review
This well-produced book is really two works. In the first (19 pages), Roosa clearly outlines the botanical natural regions of Iowa and how climate, geology, and glaciation affected plant distributions. Roosa's failure to give measurements in metric (to accompany the English ones) and the muddy rendition of some photos mar this excellent vegetational summary, which could serve as a model for checklists and floras of other states. In the second "work," Bilers gives a concise introduction to his massive checklist of 1,958 species, 673 genera, and 141 families alphabetically arranged among the pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and di- and monocotyledons. The checklist itself is in unattractive type apparently generated by a computerized database. The work is significant because it is the first modern plant checklist for Iowa (a state flora is yet to be completed) and because of the affinities of the state's flora with surrounding midcontinental areas. Checklists are valuable tools for specialists and advanced students but due to their lack of keys and descriptions are usually too daunting for any but the most dedicated undergraduates and amateur biologists. Extensive indexes. Upper-division undergraduate through professional.
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
