Flora Britannica

Abstract

A cultural as well as botanical guide to the flora of England, Scotland and Wales, including accounts of the role of wild plants in social life, customs and landscapes. The treatment is by plant family, describing each species and its occurrence, interspersed with general sections on plants in churchyards and hedges, plants connected with places and names, spring festivals, wild foods, midwinter greenery, urban commons, plant medicine, and meadow plants. In total, the book covers 1000 species, including trees and ferns, many in considerable detail. Much of the material is anecdotal, consisting of contributions from the general public and excerpts from the popular literature, attesting to the continuing relationships between nature and people. The result is a record of the popular culture, domestic uses and social meanings of Britain's wild plants at the end of the twentieth century.