Identifying grasses

[thunder]

Second hand price (and even perhaps ebay) is not always a good guide to true value. I have seen a book on sale for £10 that we had umpteen copies of at work and would have been glad to give away. And I recently paid £25 on amazon for a book that someone told me the next day "We use those to bring PC monitors to the right height - you can have a free one!". On amazon US sellers were asking £187 (no, I haven't missed a decimal point, one hundred and eighty seven pounds).

henrya

[Uncle_Filthster]

I have a few and each has its good and bad points. Phillips is ok and the photos are easy but the range is fairly limited and the pics don't show that much detail. Collins isn't bad but some of the pics are completely useless, I'm not that keen on the key either. Rose has some good descriptions and a fairly easy key, some of the pics are great but some aren't clear enough of diagnostic features and the descriptiosn of some species is lacking.

Hubbard is my favourite by far, although the scientific names of some species is no longer correct. The keys aren't the easiest but once you get used to it you can key out most grasses. The descriptions are very detailed and the scientific drawings are top notch, even though they are in black and white. If this book was updated and had the same drawings but in colour it would be the ultimate I reckon.

[tessnell]

If you are interested in the Roger Phillips book, you can also get it at AbeBooks: New Books, Secondhand Books, Rare Books, Out-of-Print Books
They have several copies at various prices, all reasonable and you don't have to bid for them

[smartie]

Originally Posted by tessnell

If you are interested in the Roger Phillips book, you can also get it at AbeBooks: New Books, Secondhand Books, Rare Books, Out-of-Print Books
They have several copies at various prices, all reasonable and you don't have to bid for them

Thanks - I've now ordered one from AbeBooks, who look as though they could be a very expensive favourite now. I've ordered the Collins as well, so it will be nose to the ground when they both arrive.

[smartie]

So, my Collins arrived yesterday and I picked a stem of grass at random from the garden and sat down to work out the key. After much studying of auricles, spikelets, awns and such I produced a string of letters and determined that - I had a grass unknown to science

Today my Roger Phillips arrived, and in 5 minutes I determined that - I had a stem of Yorkshire Fog.... I did confirm it in the Collins, though.

I think I'm going to have a lot of trouble with the awns....

[Hobjob]

Originally Posted by smartie

Hmm. The trouble with the Roger Phillips one is that it seems to be out of print and used ones are selling on Amazon for anything between £35 for a tatty ex-library copy to £165 for a good one I think I may have to try to cope with the Collins.

Have you checked on abebooks?

for second hand I think much better value than amazon.

another tip, find who has it in stick and ring direct - they
often sell cheaper than through Abebooks as Abe take largish
slice.

[animartco]

Would this be an OK place to put up a piccie for ID or would I be highjacking the thread? Just thought with a lot of grass enthusiasts about... And I take it then that there is no guide for free online? Best place is probably here!
Will add piccie in a minute. I was told a long time ago that it was NEATSFOOT grass. Hairy short with a pretty purple and yellow flower. In flower now. In case I can't get picture up, does that sound right?

[animartco]

Got it! I have lots of this grass in my front lawn. Means I can't mow it till it's seeded!

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by animartco

Got it! I have lots of this grass in my front lawn. Means I can't mow it till it's seeded!

It may look like a grass + sometimes called Good Friday Grass, but it's not a grass at all- it's Field Wood Rush, Luzula campestris!