Texas Range Plants offers a handy and attractive identification guide for the soil conservationist, range ecologist, amateur botanist, land appraiser, college or high school student, 4-H member or leader, and rangeland manager. The book describes and illustrates the 140 grasses, forbs, shrubs, and trees that are economically important on Texas rangelands because of their important forage characteristics, poisonous attributes, or "weedy" or aggressive nature.

Each plant is described in detail, in both technical and lay terminology, and depicted with a line drawing that clearly shows the plant's gross morphology and the characteristics necessary for identification. Latin and common names, habitat, longevity, season, origin, value to wildlife and livestock, and growth characteristics are listed for each plant. In addition, any poisonous properties are included, along with items of special interest and folklore about the plants.

Additional illustrations detailing various types of plant parts and characteristics and a complete glossary to the technical terminology make this book a valuable learning tool for the interested lay person and the student of botany alike.

Stephan L. Hatch is professor of grass systematics and curator of the S. M. Tracy Herbarium, Texas A&M University.Jennifer Pluhar, who lives in Canyon Texas, is a range management consultant, with interests in cattle feeding and livestock investments, and a 4-H leader who has worked extensively with 4-H and FFA youth plant-identification teams. Hatch and Pluhar are in charge of the University Plant Identification Contest at the annual meetings of the international Society for Range Management.