This exhaustively researched project brings together for the first time a complete listing of Alberta's rare vascular plants with detailed plant descriptions, habitat information and notes of special interest. Accompanied by numerous colour photographs, B&W illustrations and frequency maps, this text is essential for naturalists, botanists, students, and others interested in the flora of Alberta.

The Alberta Native Plant Council strives to promote knowledge of Alberta`s native plants, conserve Alberta`s native plant species and their habitats, and preserve plant species and habitat for the enjoyment of present and future generations.

The Alberta Native Plant Council's profile page

Linda's interest in rare species began in 1976 with her MSc thesis on rare and endangered Canadian plants. Over the past 25 years, her work has focussed on biophysical inventories in the Yukon, NWT and Alberta. She has authored and contributed to many field guides and papers. Linda now works as a writer and editor when not pursuing her two favorite pastimes: photography and illustration.

Linda Kershaw's profile page

Joyce Gould is currently employed as a biologist with Alberta Environment where she works on protected areas issues and as the botanist with the Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre (ANHIC). She has conducted plant surveys in Alberta, Ontario, Yukon and Nunavit. Joyce has a BSc in Botany from the University of Alberta and her MSc from the University of Toronto.

Joyce Gould's profile page

Derek is a lifetime resident of Alberta. He received his MSc in botany from the University of Calgary. He is currently employed by the Canadian Forest Service in Edmonton where he is a plant taxonomist and ecologist and curates the herbarium at the Northern Forestry Centre. His work has taken him to the arctic, as well as many years studying peatlands in the boreal forest of the prairie provinces.

Derek Johnson's profile page

An independent consulting botanist, Jane holds a Bsc in plant biology from the University of Calgary. She lives with her husband and family near Cochrane, Alberta.

Jane Lancaster's profile page

• Unknown, Canadian Forest Service Merit Award - Canadian Forest Service Merit Award
• Unknown, Alberta Book Awards - Scholarly Book of the Year

"This is a fascinating book which will catch the eyes of many individuals who have previously not paid much attention to the plants that grow around them....On each page the colour photographs, line drawings, coloured distribution maps, and maps of North America which depict other provinces where a species is rare or common are all most important and make this book so very attractive. The four editors and their many assistants are to be congratulated." William J. Cody, The Canadian Field-Naturalist

"This book manages to include an astonishing amount of information in a user-friendly, relatively compact and thoroughly enjoyable package." The Blazing Star

"This book is a marvelous addition to the literature on rare vascular plants of Alberta and certainly the most comprehensive. It is itself rare through its inclusion of descriptions, illustrations, photographs, and distribution maps with species lists of rare vascular plants. ... The North American maps are shaded to show the regions of the rarity status of plants by province and state, thereby indicating where a taxon is rare (and why) across its geographic range. This greatly expands the functionality of an Alberta-based book across North America and, certainly, into the Great Plains. Not restricted to prairie elements, the Great Plains is largely dominated by grasslands. Rare grassland species of Alberta are well represented in this book; of these, 70 percent are also rare in the Great Plains region outside of Alberta. ... The volume is a valuable resource serving both as a field guide and reference, not only for Alberta, but for all of Canada and the United States." Donna M. Cjerniawsky, Great Plains Research

"This is a landmark publication, a beautiful book of scientific merit..." "The overall production is well organized, attractive, easy to use, and with excellent illustrations and distribution maps. It certainly is one of the best natural science books ever produced in Alberta." - Bruce P. Dancik, Director, Devonian Botanic Garden