Plants in The Books Store

Distributed for the Pinelands Press

Three hundred million years ago, ferns dominated the earth's surface, forming extensive marshes and forests with heights of over twenty—five meters. Today, ferns and their allies are still abundantly represented in the plant world, with somewhere between 10,000 and 12,000 species identified and recognized. These nonflowering, nonseeding, highly vascular plants make up a major and ancient division in the plant kingdom called Pteridophytes.

In the state of Pennsylvania, one can find more than 100 species of these highly specialized plants. While ferns are by far the largest division of the Pteridophyte group in the state, horsetails, clubmosses, spikemosses, and quillworts are the lesser—known members, frequently misidentified as relatives of more modern flowering plants.

With more than 190 color photographs and descriptions of 96 different plants, recognizing each Pteridophyte is a relatively easy matter. The photos of the plants show them growing in their natural settings, which helps to establish a clearer picture of the common characteristics of the families and their likely habitats. Maps illustrate the distribution of the various species throughout the counties of Pennsylvania and across the United States. Taxonomic keys are also included for each of the groups to assist in identifying the plants based on their biology. Finally, the book provides the most common local names for the plants, making it useful for both the amateur naturalist and the professional botanist.

This unique book explores the diverse uses of this fascinating plant - in the garden and the kitchen, for their medical and fibrous properties and so on. It is packed with practical suggestions, as well as a guide to the botany of stinging nettles, and how to collect and store them. For example, you will discover how to use nettles to:

make a liquid plant fertiliser brew an unusual beer make a dandruff treatment protect beehives flavour an omelette make friendship bracelets repel flies naturally make green or yellow fabric dyes keep yourself warm in the winter and much more ...

The many health benefits of taking nettles in various forms include relief from: hay fever and other allergies; acne and other skin conditions; arthritis and rheumatism; asthma; stress; high blood pressure; depression; enlarged prostate gland.

Plantation forests are grown to supply wood and to provide environmental benefits, such as waste disposal, rehabilitation of degraded sites, enhancement of regional biodiversity and reduction of logging in native forests. In a highly readable fashion, this book describes the scientific principles which are used throughout the world to ensure rapid, healthy plantation growth. It is written for a world-wide audience, from forestry professionals and scientists through to small plantation growers, to describe how plantations may be grown responsibly and profitably.