California's unique plants range in size from the stately Coast Redwoods to the minute belly plants of the southern deserts and in age from the four-thousand year-old Bristlecone Pines to ephemeral annuals whose life span can be counted in weeks. Available at last in a thoroughly updated and revised edition, this popular book is the only concise overview of the state's remarkable flora, its plant communities, and the environmental factors that shape them. * 188 color photographs illustrate plants and typical plant communities around the state * New chapters give expanded discussions of the evolution of the California landscape, recent changes in California's flora, and more * Introduces basic concepts of plant taxonomy and plant ecology through clear examples and covers topics such as soil, climate, and geography