Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana


Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana is a multivolume flora describing the vascular plants of the Guayana Region of Venezuela, encompassing the three states south of the Orinoco: Amazonas, Bolívar, and Delta Amacuro. Initiated by Julian Alfred Steyermark in the early 1980s, it was completed after his death under the guidance of Paul E. Berry, Kay Yatskievych, and Bruce K. Holst. The nine volumes were published between 1995 and 2005 by Timber Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. The project brought together more than 200 botanists from around the world and was "the first effort to produce a comprehensive inventory and identification guide for the plants of such an extensive region of northern South America".

Volumes

The first volume, written primarily by Italian ecologist Otto Huber, is an introduction to the geography, ecology, botanical history and conservation of the Venezuelan Guayana, and includes two fold-out maps of the region. The subsequent eight volumes cover the known plant families of the area in alphabetical order, each treating around 1000–1300 species. Ferns and fern allies are covered in the first part of volume 2, with the remainder of that volume, and the rest of the flora, devoted to seed plants. Both native and naturalised species are included. Around half of all species are illustrated with black-and-white line drawings by Venezuelan artist Bruno Manara. Species accounts include non-exhaustive synonymies, and vernacular names are occasionally given.
In his Guide to Standard Floras of the World, David G. Frodin cited Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana as an example of a "ood modern, relatively 'concise' conventional flora".
The introductory volume has been singled out as both a useful addition to the flora and a valuable work in its own right. Writing in the Edinburgh Journal of Botany, S. Bridgewater considered the first volume "an excellent way of starting a Flora" and "a highly desirable book for anyone with a love of botany and South America". He added that the prose "is both unpretentious and accessible, whilst being thoroughly researched". These views were echoed in the Handbook of Latin American Studies, where the volume is described as "authoritative and superbly illustrated" and "uch broader than title suggests".
R. Atkinson, who reviewed volume 2 for the Edinburgh Journal of Botany, considered the book's dichotomous keys "concise and easy to use" and the illustrations "clear although sometimes rather diagrammatic". More serious criticism was levelled at the alphabetical arrangement of families, which Atkinson considered the work's "biggest drawback". He continued: "It would be more valuable if a systematic approach had been taken to avoid the absurdity of closely related families being placed in different volumes."
Reviewing volume 7 in Economic Botany, Neil A. Harriman wrote that the entire flora was "lavishly produced, with a great many line drawings to aid in identification". He added: "I think it indicates how carefully these volumes are done, that weedy little Plantago major gets just as much space, and just as fine an illustration, as any of the rare, exotic, endemic orchid species do." Harriman also noted the comprehensive literature citations, which he found "most helpful". Although rather conservative, Harriman considered the species synonymies adequate.