Western Floras

[sdigby at TIGGER.STCLOUD.MSUS.EDU]

In article <2JAN95.15363735 at sallie.wellesley.edu>, jbeckert at sallie.wellesley.edu writes:
>Hello:
>I'm looking for names of, and sources for, floras and field guides for
>the Western and Southwestern U.S.
>
>        For reference:  something comparable to the east-coast "Gray's
>Manual of Botany" or Gleason & Cronquist's "Manual of Vascular Plants".
>Something with line drawings would be preferred to one with none.
>
>        For field guide & e-z reference:  Wildflower guide similar to
>Newcomb's Wild Flower Guide, which has an easy key and both b/w and color
>illustrations
>                Tree & Shrub guide similar to east coast version of Petersens
>Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs, again with easy key and line drawings of
>leaves/twigs.
>
>I have both the Audubon field guides for trees and wildflowers, but the photo
>format is hard to use; plus no keys.  In the field guides, I'm looking for
>something with a key rather than something arranged by color or leaf shape.
>
>Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!  (Maybe someone out there has
>some old books they're interested in selling?)
>
>Thanks//Jan Beckert.      JBECKERT at LUCY.WELLESLEY.EDU
Have you tried any of the books by Philip A. Munz?  He has published the
following with the U of California press: 
Southern California Botany
California Desert Wildflowers, 
and etc.
and a rather massive "A California Flora and Supplement".  It used to cost
about $35 - not sure of the current price.  No color pictures, has excellent
keys and line drawings.  It is useful in other regions too.