46 

 BOOK REVIEWS 



California Shrubs* 



G. T. Hastings 



With an ai'ea about one-third that of the region covered by 

 Gray's Manual CaHfornia has twice as many shrubby plants. But 

 the number of species, some 800 with 200 varieties are described in 

 this manual, gives little idea of the importance of shrubs in the land- 

 scape of California. The deserts and sage brush regions cover large 

 areas in the central, southern and western parts of the state ; 

 chaparral forms the "Pygmy Forest" covering the mountain slopes 

 from San Francisco south, with extensions on the mountains of the 

 north. In each of these areas a- great variety of shrubs are found. 

 The chaparral has great importance in preventing erosion and regu- 

 lating stream flow and has a beauty that is not at first apparent. With 

 such a wealth of shrubs a manual covering them fully is very desir- 

 able. Dr. McMinn says that the book is intended for non-profes- 

 sional botanists, teachers, students, foresters but may also serve the 

 professional botanist. We venture to say that the botanist will find it 

 almost an essential supplement to the manuals of flowering plants 

 of the state. Both the amateur and professional will appreciate the 

 line drawings showing details of leaf, stem, flower and fruit of each 

 species described. These drawings are carefully done and of con- 

 siderable beauty in addition to their accuracy. Also there are over 

 forty full page half tones from photographs of the kind everyone 

 who tries to photograph plants hopes to make and only occasionally 

 succeeds in getting. 



There are complete keys to genera and species and where 

 varieties of a species are described there are keys for these. The in- 

 troduction has a short section on the ecology of the shrubby plants 

 of the state, and an illustrated explanation of terms. Following the 

 main section of some 590 pages describing and illustrating the 

 shrubs, there is a glossary, a list of specific and varietal names with 

 their meanings, a list of nomenclature changes (58 new names or 

 combinations of which 38 reduce species to varieties) and a section 

 of 25 pages on the use of native shrubs in garden design. 



* An Illustrated Manual of California Shrubs. Howard E. McMinn. 

 XI + 689 pp. J. W. Stacey, Inc. 1939. $5.00. 



