Author Description

A comprehensive guide to the identification of over 260 species of tree and shrub by their leaves. Each species account is illustrated with a colour photograph of a complete branch, and separate photographs of the upper and lower surfaces of a representative leaf. This is accompanied by a detailed description of the leaf structure itself. The key is devised in such a way that a species of tree may be identified by reference to its leaf or needle alone. The key explains all the specialist terms used in the book, again with extensive use of colour illustrations. But although the emphasis of the identification section of the book is on the leaf, the first section deals thoroughly with the common species of tree. To each of these is devoted an entire page of detailed description and an accompanying page of colour photographs, illustrating the whole tree in each of the four seasons of the year and its flowers, buds, leaves, seeds and bark. The text gives details not only of biology and distribution, type and uses of wood and fruits, but also sketches the historical background to the tree, the customs and traditions associated with it, so the reader gains a sense of the complete character of the tree, in all its different aspects.