The freshwater algal flora of the British Isles: an identification guide to freshwater and terrestrial algae /

This eagerly awaited book, long in preparation, is the first major flora of freshwater and terrestrial algae in the British Isles in some 75 years, a time when the number of species and genera in the area has more than doubled. Although it is not comprehensive--it excludes diatoms and about 500 of the more than 2,200 other known freshwater species--this flora will become an invaluable reference for freshwater workers worldwide for what it includes, since many of the species have far greater distributions than just the British Isles. Although there are introductory chapters on the history of British phycology, field techniques, and lab methods, the heart of this large volume is the floristic accounts of the diverse groups of algae. The 14 phyla included, except the cyanobacteria, have keys to delineate genera as well as the most abundant species within, and each taxon is briefly described. The identification guide is copiously illustrated with 154 plates of pen-and-ink line drawings representing nearly all of the species described, as well as more than 500 color photographs offered on an associated CD-ROM. Highly recommended for professionals and all undergraduate and graduate institutions with programs in aquatic biology. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals; two-year technical program students. C. W. Schneider Trinity College (CT)