Wildflowers of Prince Edward Island

Leila I. Wallenius is a reference librarian at Laurentian University.

As in many field guides to wildflowers, this work is arranged by color
of flowers. During the season when each individual plant is in bloom,
you will have little trouble distinguishing the plant in question among
the 90 plants included in Clough’s guide. Those less familiar with
plant identification may find this type of organization questionable for
the periods when the plant is not in flower. A guide or key to organize
plants by general characteristics would have been helpful. Habitat
information (particularly for the native species) will, however, prove
useful in confirming whether you have identified the plant correctly.

The introduction provides a good background to what plants are included
and why. There are some inconsistencies in the use and explanation of
botanical jargon, though the terms are concisely defined in an appendix.
The entries are easily read and understood. The guide’s size and
spiral binding make the book easy to use in the field, but the binding
may limit its life span. The photographs are good but not always located
beside the accompanying text.

Curiously, though the author makes a point of indicating in the
introduction that most plants have many common names and then includes
these alternative names with each entry, she does not list them all in
the index. All Latin names are cross-referenced in the index.

Any naturalist or nature lover visiting Prince Edward Island would find
Clough’s guide a suitable memento; for those who live on the island,
the guide would be a helpful tool.