Description
Ian Popay | paperback | 448 pages | 2010
This popular and indispensable guide to the identification of weeds in New Zealand is now in its third edition. The 2010 edition is still written for a wide audience, with simple text and a user-friendly approach, but at 448 pages it is bigger and better than ever. Covering just over 600 species, and with more than 1,500 stunning new photographs, this guide is an excellent aid to identification. Bearing in mind that “the definition of a weed as a plant growing in the wrong place means that one person’s weed is another’s treasure”, the authors aimed to include all common weeds, including garden escapes, introduced plants, and some plants which may be useful pasture components but which can be a nuisance in the garden or in horticultural crops. Native species are listed when they are major weed problems of pastoral land in some regions, or when they may be mistaken for weeds which they resemble. Each plant receives a general introduction, and is then described in detail; the usefulness or toxicity of the plant is also addressed, and derivation of botanical names is given. Plants are listed by both botanical and common names, and indexes enable easy searching, but there is also a section which helps you to identify a plant from information about flower colour and size, the kind of plant it is and where it occurs. The text has been updated to accommodate changes to the legislation governing pest plants.
