AuthorPhillips, R.
Year1978
TitleTrees in Britain, Europe and North America
ISBN0 330 25480 4
TypeBook/Report
How CompleteA good range of temperate species including the vast majority that can be found wild or planted in Britain and Ireland.
Source224pp, Pan Books
IllustrationsColour photographs of foliage, flowers, fruit, bark; line drawings of tree silhouettes
Review (by Malcolm Storey)

A photographic guide to over 500 species tree which can be found in Britain and Ireland (or elsewhere in Europe and North America - in practice trees have been so widely planted that this means here too!)

The book starts with a pictorial overview of leaf shape to quickly narow down the field when seeking to identify an unknown tree. This fills 14 pages for conifers (arranged in increasing leaf-length) followed by 36 pages for broadleaves (arranged from simplest leaf-shape to the most complex).

The main body of the work consists of the tree species arranged alphabetically by genus. Each species has a short description next to two or more photographs depicting the foliage, flowers, fruits, bark etc. These have been taken against a neutral background - the best way to illustrate such features. However the colour reproduction, although adequate, is not very good by modern standards.

Near the end of the book are 5 pages illustrating some of the more distinctive barks.

There are only a few representative species of large groups like willows, nor are the microspecies of Whitebeams covered.

Errata, Corrigenda & CommentsSometimes it’s difficult to tell which species the photos belong to without reading the description. (eg top row on 194, top two rows on 195).
Examinein the hand in the Hand ( with x8 or x10 hand lens is also useful)
Notes & PurposeStatusTaxonEnglishClassification
For identificationCurrent[Trees]broadleaved and coniferous treesPlantae
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