Plant Life in the World's Mediterranean Climates: California, Chile, South Africa, Australia and the Mediterranean Basin - Tapa dura

This book provides a beautifully illustrated overview of the landscapes, vegetation types, and plants of the five regions of the world that have a Mediterranean climate. This climate of mild, rainy winters and dry, warm summers is found in the Mediterranean Basin, the south-western part of Australia, the Cape region of South Africa, Central Chile, and California. The regions are widely separated and the flora of each is distinctive, having for the most part developed independently. Nevertheless, the plants share remarkably similar characteristics which allow them to survive in these unusual conditions. Peter Dallman's non-technical prose is complemented by numerous maps, tables, and figures, and the book is richly illustrated with photographs of landscapes, plants, and flowers to a very high standard. With its detailed information on some of the world's most resilient plant life, this book will service as an excellent naturalist's guide to these beautiful and unusual bioregions and as an invaluable reference for everyone interested in growing drought-resistant plants. For the growing number of travellers whose vacations focus on learning about and appreciating natural history, Dallman also includes a chapter on planning trips to the five 'Mediterranean' regions.

Peter Dallman is Professor of Paediatrics at the University of California. He is also Chairman of the Docent Council of The Strybing Arboretum and has travelled widely to study the plants of the Mediterranean regions. Plant Life in the World's Mediterranean Climates will be published by California University Press in conjunction with the California Native Plant Society, and Oxford University Press will publish the book outside North America.