Below the treeline

“Vår flora i färg: Fanerogamer” is a Swedish field guide to seed plants. The author's name is Ivar Elvers. The illustrator is named Henning Anthon. Originally published in 1965, my copy is dated 1977 and is said to be the fifth edition. The plates are quite good, but otherwise the field guide feels dated and difficult to use. Color plates and species presentations aren't on facing pages. Only the leaves and fruits of trees are shown on the plates, not the actual trees themselves. Some species aren't shown at all, but are only mentioned in the text section. Today, this book can only be found in some public libraries. Still, with some patience, you might be able to identify the most common flowery plants (or trees, provided you come close enough) with its help…