A review of Oleg Polunin´s "Flowers of the Himalaya"
Despite its name, this is not a field guide to all of Himalaya. It deals
exclusively with Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal.
That is, the western part of the Indian-controlled Himalayas plus Nepal.
Nothing wrong with that, but the title of the book can be somewhat misleading.
The book covers 1,500 species of wild flowers found at an altitude of between 1,200 metres and 5,500 metres. Both plants growing in high valleys and those thriving on the mountains are featured. There are 690 colour photographs, 315 line drawings, and hence about 1,000 species illustrated. Keys and species presentations should aid identification. The photos are at the back of the book, but are not always of the best quality. At least the Rheum nobile is fully visible!
Despite various short-comings, a good first attempt at a field guide covering the western and central parts of Himalaya.
The book covers 1,500 species of wild flowers found at an altitude of between 1,200 metres and 5,500 metres. Both plants growing in high valleys and those thriving on the mountains are featured. There are 690 colour photographs, 315 line drawings, and hence about 1,000 species illustrated. Keys and species presentations should aid identification. The photos are at the back of the book, but are not always of the best quality. At least the Rheum nobile is fully visible!
Despite various short-comings, a good first attempt at a field guide covering the western and central parts of Himalaya.
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