Mangroves to Mountains

a field guide to the native plants of the Logan-Albert Rivers catchment

Copyright Publishing 2002. (ISBN 1875401954)

Reviewed by Lynette Reilly

The authors of this great new field guide are confident that the catchment of the Logan and Albert Rivers includes some of the most diverse and beautiful natural environments in the State.

While this catchment stretches from Main Range to Lamington National Park, from Boonah to Canungra, and north to Woodridge and Beenleigh, most of its plants are not restricted to here, and the book will be very useful over a much wider area.

Audience:

Although primarily a guide to identification, ‘Mangroves to Mountains’ aims to increase public interest in the local flora, foster appreciation of its beauty and diversity and thus encourage its preservation. (What a pity the book wasn’t around one or two hundred years ago, before most of the precious vegetation was lost to encroaching ‘civilization’. Maps included show starkly the comparison of pre-clearing vegetation with current remnants.)

The book will also be useful for those engaged in revegetation and indeed all who love the bush.

Scope:

Colour photos show flowers, foliage and fruit of more than 900 species of local plants. As well, each has a description of habit and size, dimensions of flowers and fruit and expected time of flowering. Other comments include rarity and known locations.

Common names are supplied where they exist.

Most of the excellent photos are Glenn Leiper’s and the information is enhanced with clear line drawings by Carolynn Waldron.

(The authors say that many of the grasses, ferns, sedges and mosses have been omitted because they need specialized study to identify, and rainforest species have not been covered comprehensively as several existing books already cover these.) Notwithstanding these cautions, I have successfully used this book to identify many plants.

The book is simple to use.

Identify the habitat where you are – tidal wetlands, freshwater wetlands, eucalypt forest, rainforest, or mountain-top. A plant occurring in more than one habitat is listed where it occurs most frequently. Colour strips along the vertical edges of the pages colour-code these habitats. Preceding the photos in each section, a comprehensive description of the habitat confirms your choice.

Identify the colour of flower or fruit. Within the chosen habitat section, look for that colour coding at the top edge of the page eg blue/purple, yellow/orange...

Compare your plant with the photos – similar looking plants have been grouped together.

Read the text which will point out size, leaf arrangement and any other distinguishing features you can use as clues.

Or, if you think you know the genus, just look it up in the index and compare the photos with your plant.

The index:

Excellent - mixing common and scientific names. For those who despair of frequent name changes, we are all catered for – e.g. Moreton Bay Ash is listed both as Corymbia (Eucalyptus) tessellaris and Eucalyptus (Corymbia) tessellaris as well as its common name.

With the Herbarium’s assistance, great care has been taken with the checking of correct up-to-date scientific names.

Extras:

There are maps of vegetation coverage; an illustrated glossary of botanical terms; two pages of bibliography; and an introduction to the rare and threatened plants of the area with lists using IUCN status codes (Endangered, Vulnerable and Rare).

Conclusion:

The excellent colour reproduction, huge variety of species described and meticulous attention to detail and description make this book a treasure. It is a marvellous ‘must have’ book for anyone living in or visiting the Southeast corner of Queensland. As Peter O’Reilly says in his foreword ‘I commend the brave band of enthusiasts who have laboured to bring the flora of these exciting places into our living rooms. ‘Mangroves to Mountains’ challenges us to learn about the plants that grow in our area and to play a role in protecting them.’

Thanks to the authors – Logan River Branch members Fran Bright, Denis Cox, Jan Glazebrook, Glenn Leiper, Kerry Rathie, Carolynn and (the late) Ian Waldron for a job well done.

Webmasters Note: This book has been followed by a second volume and then a new edition that combines the material of the 2 earlier editions. You can obtain the book by contacting author Kerry Rathie at
Lot 5, Salston Road, Greenbank, 4124.
or by emailing him at
krathie6@bigpond.com