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This is a key volume to anyone interested in wild
saxifrages with a degree of botanical expertise tempered with tips on
cultivation, on finding the plants in the wild as well as extremely useful
extra chapters on saxifrages from other continents. In particular the
chapters on North America and Africa must be recommended as invaluable.
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Webb & Gornall approach the genus as taxonomic
botanists. Professor Webb had contributed the definitive account of
Saxifraga to Flora Europea (1964) as well as working for many
decades on the status of many problems within the genus. Richard Gornall,
well-known to many members of the society, is responsible for the revision
of the genus which is now accepted by everyone in the field as the best
overall account of the genus to date (except occasionally Plant Finder).
Together their expertise on the European saxifrages was unchallenged and
any enthusiast is incredibly lucky that they produced a volume which is
both so readable and so well produced and illustrated. Any member who does
not have a copy should make sure that they get one.
Each species is dealt with in detail , hybrids
described, distribution maps, diagnostic features and botanical status are
discussed, along with other sources of illustrations, type specimens,
chromosome numbers. But although this is the way in which most readers
will use the volume most of the time no-one should overlook the
introductory chapters which would provide any reader with a valuable
information about the genus, its botany, history and ecology, and there is
a bibliography which is to say the least comprehensive. It is also worth
pointing out that there are 60 colour plates, 75 maps, and 60 figures
(including excellent black and white photographs). The only quibble with
any of them is that they all relate to the European species (which is
after all the title of he book) and it is a shame that the opportunity to
illustrate the North American species in particular was not taken. As far
as the European species are concerned there is a valuable key to aid
identification.
As it says on the cover "This book is set to be
the standard work on saxifrages, not only for the keen gardener, but also
for the professional botanist, the botanically minded holidaymaker and,
indeed, for all plant enthusiasts". Apart from pointing out that it
is wild saxifrages rather than garden hybrids about which they write, this
is unarguable. It is indeed a standard work and a very good one.
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