United States
£ GBP
Montana is a large state with diverse vegetation from Great Plains prairie and deciduous forest in the east, to northern coniferous forest and alpine tundra in the west. Discovering the botanical secrets of this spectacular landscape began with indigenous peoples and continued through the 20th Century with early explorers, geographers and entrepreneurs followed by teachers, scientists and curious and dedicated lay persons. Montana's multitude of rugged mountains and wide open spaces means that botanical discoveries which started with the Lewis and Clark Expedition continue to this day. Montana's Pioneer Botanists brings together more than thirty biographies of these diverse people and traces the growth of botanical knowledge in this wild and beautiful state.
"Hear ye, hear ye! Librarians, botanists, herbarium curators, historians, book aficionados! You are going to love Montana's Pioneer Botanists, a gold mine of information about botanical exploration in Montana, beginning with indigenous people and ending with Klaus Lackschewitz (1911-1995). Editors Rachel Potter and Peter Lesica have produced a magnificent compendium of 31 historical essays written by 18 authors, many with a special connection to or knowledge of the botanist about whom they were writing. Photos of botanists and plants associated with them are skillfully interspersed within the essays."
– Dr. Patricia Holmgren, Director Emerita, New York Botanical Garden Herbarium
"Men and women have been studying and celebrating Montana's flora for centuries. At last, a book about these botanical pioneers that's comprehensive, wonderfully detailed, and as fresh and alluring as the flora they loved. The authors, present-day native-plant devotés who know their stuff and their state, have given us not just a vital resource, but a delightful and inspiring read."
– Beth Judy, aka Flora Delaterre, "The Plant Detective"
"Editors Rachel Potter and Peter Lesica have crafted not a dry biographical tome, but a bright and lively read full of colorful photos, illustrations, and interesting stories about the early efforts to catalogue, identify, and study Montana's rich plant life and history."
– Chris Peterson, Hungry Horse New
