DIVA uniquely comprehensive and beautiful guide to more than 600 species of fauna and flora along the coasts of the southeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico/div

With more than 750 illustrations, including 300 color photographs, this guide covers more than 1,000 species, such as shoreside plants, clams, shrimps, crabs, corals, seaweeds, sponges, and sea urchins, as well as all of the common seashore communities found from Cape Hatteras to the Gulf Coast, Florida, and the Caribbean.

"A superb illustrated flora with clear line drawings by talented botanical artist Abigail Rorer. With more than 250 specimens fully described, one can identify any plant found in the coastal wetlands of the Southeast". -- Choice

Wildflowers of the Coastal Plain provides detailed information on 535 species of herbaceous plants, vines, and shrubs inhabiting one of the great floristic provinces of the United States. The coastal plain extends from southeast Texas eastward to Florida and includes the Mississippi River flood plain, which stretches from southern Illinois to the Gulf of Mexico. It embraces all but the southern tip of the Florida peninsula and proceeds up the eastern seaboard into southern New Jersey and includes parts of Long Island and Cape Cod. In this indispensable guide, botanist Ray Neyland catalogs the native flora, as well as the naturalized species found throughout the far-flung but unified coastal plain. Each illuminating entry includes a vivid color photograph of the wildflower in its natural setting, the plant's scientific and common names, and a precise description of the species, including its range and blooming time. Some entries describe modern and historical applications for the plants -- such as use by Native Americans for food or medicine -- and mention closely related species to prevent confusion in identification. The volume's simplified glossary and a series of line drawings explain essential botanical terms. Dichotomous keys facilitate a helpful step-by-step identification method, allowing readers to begin with what they know -- a flower's color -- and then follow a process of elimination (Is the plant aquatic or not? Are the leaves fan shaped or linear?). A sturdy, flexible cover makes this guide the perfect companion on outdoor excursions. With its beautiful color photographs, instructive descriptions, and wide-ranging geographic scope, Wildflowers of the Coastal Plain is an integral reference for every nature lover.

The Texas coast offers rich avian treasures for expert birders and beginners alike, if only they know where to look. For those familiar with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's maps to the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, this book on the Upper Texas Coast offers more--more information, more convenient and detailed maps, more pictures, more finding tips, and more birding advice from one of the trail's creators, Ted Lee Eubanks Jr., and trail experts Robert A. Behrstock and Seth Davidson. For those new to the trail, the book is the perfect companion for learning where to find and how to bird the very best venues on this part of the Texas coast. In an opening tutorial on habitat and seasonal strategies for birding the Upper Texas Coast, the authors include tips on how to take advantage of the famous (but elusive) fallouts of birds that happen here. They then briefly discuss the basics of birding by ear and the rewards of passive birding before turning to the trail itself and each of more than 120 birding sites from the Louisiana-Texas border, through Galveston and Houston, to just south of Freeport. Advice oninding bird groups While not intended as a field identification guide, the book contains more than 175 color photographs of birds and their coastal habitat, giving readers an excellent feel for the trail's diversity and abundance. Whether you are making your annual spring pilgrimage to Texas, leisurely traveling with the family along the coast, or wondering what to do during a layover in Houston, using this book as your guide to the trail will greatly enhance your birding experience.

The weather patterns and topography of America's Gulf Coast create favorable growing conditions for thousands of species of mushrooms, but the complete region has generally gone unchartered when it comes to mycology. Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast States at last delivers an in-depth, high-quality, user-friendly field guide, featuring more than 1,000 common and lesser-known species—some of which are being illustrated in color for the first time. Using easily identifiable characteristics and a color key, the authors enable anyone, whether amateur mushroom hunter or professional mycologists, to discern and learn about the numerous species of mushrooms encountered in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Wild-food enthusiasts will appreciate the information on edibility or toxicity that accompanies each description, and they will also find the book’s detailed instructions for collecting, cleaning, testing, preserving, and cooking wild mushrooms to be of great interest. Providing encyclopedic knowledge in a handy format that fits in a backpack, Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast States is a must-have for any mushroom lover.