The Genus Betula: A Taxonomic Revision of Birches
Description
The stunning Betula, or birch trees, are notoriously difficult to identify despite being one of the major contributors to the beautiful fall foliage famous in eastern North America. With many wrongly named birches appearing in nurseries and arboreta, this new book, the first ever written on the genus, is an important and much-needed work. The Genus Betula covers all known birches found in North America, Europe, and Asia, along with keys for accurate identification. Chapters include a look at the breeding, cultivation, conservation, and morphology of all species, including several little-known species wonderful for garden and landscape use. The authors present previously unpublished data on recent molecular work and fossils, providing a cytotaxonomic and phylogeographic revision of the Betula genus. The book is accompanied by exquisite specimens of botanical art, including full-color paintings by Josephine Hague, making it a valuable tool for arboriculturists as well as professional and amateur gardeners.
Product Details
Price
$109.25
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
Publish Date
July 15, 2013
Pages
432
Dimensions
7.7 X 9.8 X 1.3 inches | 3.45 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9781842461419
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
Kenneth Ashburner has traveled extensively in search of birches, crossing Japan, Korea, Russia, Siberia, the Himalayas, and Europe, as well as Canada and the United States. His specialist arboretum was awarded National Collection status for both wild origin birch and alder. Hugh A. McAllister has lectured in botany at universities in Glasgow, Newcastle, and Liverpool and was deputy director at the University of Liverpool's Ness Botanic Gardens.
Reviews
"This detailed account is accessible, aimed not only at scholars and students, but those intellectually curious about these important woody plants."
-- "Current Books on Gardening & Botany""'Long-awaited'. . .much-needed as a contemporary review of the whole genus Betula, from both botanical and horticultural perspectives.-- "Garden Design Journal"
"On first opening this book I thought I would have a quick flick through to get a feel of it, before I read it. But I found myself stopping and reading parts, getting engrossed and wanting to read some more. . . . With decades of research behind it, taken from herbarium specimens, material from wild trees and arboreta collections, this is a book brimming with information and science-based facts."--Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society
