by John D. Stuart and John O. Sawyer California's varied
landscape is characterized by a spectacular abundance of plant
life, including a magnificent variety of trees and shrubs. This
is the first book to combine the trees and shrubs of California
in one accessible field guide. Trees and Shrubs of California
identifies and describes native California tree species and most
common shrub species. The text is complemented by more than 200
beautiful line drawings, 300 range maps, and 40 color
photographs. In their introduction, the authors discuss the
dominant vegetation types, climates, principal landforms, and
elevations of California's ecological regions. They explain the
classification system and nomenclature used in the book, which
includes both scientific and common plant names and is based on
the 1993 edition of The Jepson Manual. The authors also provide
a step-by-step explanation of how to use the dichotomous keys to
identify plants and distinguish between trees and shrubs. This
user-friendly field guide