Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region: Mendocino to Monterey

The book is mostly composed of dichotomous keys with a good section of very nice photographs of most commonly encountered plants, covering many genera. It is a sizable book for the field and covers the SF Bay Area really well. The only thing I have to complain is that is doesn't have species descriptions and more pictures, but these are probably out of the scope of this book. It is a great buy and I do highly recommend it.

If you're into plant identification and you live in the Bay Area, this book is essential. Many of the keys are far easier than Jepson or Munz, and there is the enormous benefit that plants that don't grow in the Bay Area aren't there in the key to confuse you. People who use this book should know that it is in some ways a work in progress. I took a class with Ms. Beidleman in 2006 and she frequently told us to cross out or re-word certain passages in the keys that were misleading. I don't think she has an estimate for when a new edition may come out--it could be a ways off.

This books is essential to botanists in the San Francisco Bay Area! For both the experienced and the amateur, this book is a useful guide to identifying common plant species of the region. Much more concise and specialized than the Jepson Manual, plant identification has gone from a time consuming chore to sheer pleasure. Brilliant color plates add interest and aide in identification. Authors Kozloff and Beidleman have extracted the best aspects of botany texts to create a San Francisco Bay Area biologist's dream!