bibliography - rix's herbological pages

Bibliography and abbreviations *

Audie:
May refer to either of two different books by the National Audubon Society.
If the page number is followed by the letter "W", the reference is to:

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers (Eastern Region)
by William A. Niering, Professor of Botany, Connecticut College, New London, and Nancy C. Olmstead, Research Associate, Connecticut Arboretum; visual Key by Susan Rayfield and Carol Nehring
1979, 1995, Alfred A. Knopf, New York

If the page number is followed by the letter "T", the reference is to:

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees (Eastern Region)
by Elbert L. Little, former Chief Dendrologist, U.S. Forest Service; photographs by Sonja Bullaty and Angelo Lomeo and others; visual key by Susan Rayfield and Olivia Buehl
1980, Alfred A. Knopf, New York

These books are excellent photo references, keyed by shape and color of flowers and/or fruits (wildflowers edition) and leaf and fruit shape and color (trees edition). If a certain specimen happens to change color as it matures, all color changes are generally represented with a different photo. Good, precise descriptions for identification and classification purposes. These fields guide appear to be intended for identification purposes only, so edible and medicinal qualities are given only brief comment in each entry, however, these books are indispensable for the quality of their photos.

Billy:
Billy Joe Tatum's Wild Foods Field Guide and Cookbook
by Billy Joe Tatum, edited by Helen Witty, plant drawings by Jim Blackfeather Rose
1976, Workman Publishing Company, Inc., New York

My first ever field guide. It was through Billy Joe Tatum that I first began to foster my yearning to commune with my surroundings. Even though the illustrations are just black and white line drawings, I was able to use this guide to positively identify and enjoy so many natural wonders. Among the first discoveries that Billy helped me to learn: wood sorrel, sassafras, sumac, sweet goldenrod, bee balm, dandelions, may pops, may apples and more. Her natural, down-to-earth descriptions and explanations fueled my herbological desires. Plus it's a compact book, so it fits well in your foraging satchel. I haven't used many of her recipes, but the ones I have (like dandelion fritters) were really good.

Brillie:
Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places
by "Wildman" Steve Brill with Evelyn Dean, illustrations by Evelyn Dean
1994, Hearst Books, New York

I learned about the "Wildman" before I ever moved to New York, and once I was there I couldn't wait to go on one of his foraging tours through Central Park. The pencil drawings provide excellent depictions of all the key features you need to make a positive identification of a plant, and Mr. Brill's herblore goes far beyond mere identification to provide information on the nutritional value of each plant, how to recognize them in different seasons, medicinal uses that have anecdotal and scientific support, as well as information that comes from personal experience with the herb in question. It's a very large book, so it doesn't fit as well in the knap sack as other guides, but it should definitely be a first reference on every herbologist's desk. And if you ever get the chance to visit New York and go on one of the Wildman's tours, I highly recommend it. Learn more about the Wildman at his website: www.wildmanstevebrill.com

Gibbie:
May refer to any of five different books by Euell Gibbons.
If the page number is followed by the letter "A", the reference is to:

Stalking the Wild Asparagus (Field Guide Edition)
by Euell Gibbons, with illustrations by Margaret F. Schroeder
1962, David McKay Company, Inc., New York

If the page number is followed by the letter "H", the reference is to:

Stalking the Healthful Herbs (Field Guide Edition)
by Euell Gibbons, with drawings of plants by Raymond W. Rose
1966, David McKay Company, Inc., New York

If the page number is followed by the letter "S", the reference is to:

Stalking the Blue-eyed Scallop
by Euell Gibbons, with illustrations by Catherine R. Hammond, with a foreword by Shirley King
1988, Alan C. Hood & Company, Inc., Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

If the page number is followed by the letter "P", the reference is to:

Stalking the Faraway Places (and some thoughts on the best way to live)
by Euell Gibbons, illustrated by Freda Gibbons
1973, David McKay Company, Inc., New York

If the page number is followed by the letter "L", the reference is to:

Stalking the Good Life (my love affair with nature)
by Euell Gibbons, illustrated by Freda Gibbons
1971, David McKay Company, Inc., New York

Some of the greatest anecdotal information ever assembled on the subject of herblore. Not only is Mr. Gibbons extremely well versed in his understanding of plants (and animals), but he practically presents his knowledge in the form of timeless tales. This is probably the closest we'll ever come in our day and age to knowing what it was like growing up with elders who knew what the land around them had to offer. I read Gibbons not only for the information he provides, but also for the journeys on which he takes me. Some readers may find that Gibbons repeats himself quite a bit on the same subjects from book to book, but I find that the repetition helps to set the information more securely into my memory. All the paperback editions of his books that I've seen are of a good size and weight to be easily ported in your foraging satchel.

Eddie:
A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants (Eastern and central North America)
by Lee Allen Peterson; line drawings by Lee Allen Peterson and Roger Tory Peterson; photographs by Lee Allen Peterson
1977, Houghton Mifflin, New York

Decent photographs in the center of the book (15 pages of color plates with 4 specimen per page), but the line drawings that accompany the main entry are often better identification aids. Sections are divided by flower color and sub-divided by flower type. Entries are marked with icons which indicate the general uses of the plant. Entries are very terse (paragraph size at most), indicating common and scientific names, description, habitat, season, parts of the plant used, uses and any variant species and/or look-alikes to be wary of. The book is of a very compact size, excellent for carrying along with you in your pouch.

Meddie:
A Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants (Eastern and central North America)
text by Steven Foster and James A. Duke; line drawings by Roger Tory Peterson, Jim Blackfeather Rose and Lee Allen Peterson; photographs by Steven Foster
1990, Houghton Mifflin, New York

Decent photographs in the center of the book (48 pages of color plates with 4 specimen per page), but the line drawings that accompany the main entry are often better identification aids. Sections are divided by flower color (and sub-divided by flower type) or by plant type (tree, shrub, vine, etc.) Entries are marked with icons which indicate possible danger (poison, allergy, dermatitis, etc.) Entries are very terse (paragraph size at most), indicating common and scientific names, description, habitat, season, parts of the plant used, uses and any variant species and/or look-alikes to be wary of. The book is of a very compact size, excellent for carrying along with you in your pouch.

* While some of the field guide editions I reference are rather timeless (like Billy, Brillie and Gibbie), others may be some what out dated (i.e., the Audies, Eddie and Meddie) in that there are more recent editions currently on the shelves of your local book store. I give the page number reference to these works for several reasons. First of all, for other fans of Billy, Brillie and Gibbie, I give the reference so you will know exactly where to look to get these authors' great herbological takes on the plant in question. Secondly, I want to give bibliographic reference to back up the information I am presenting and give credit to the authors and editors I am quoting. And thirdly, I do it for myself, so that when I am editing and cross-referencing my field research with textual research I will know exactly what page to turn to. Therefore, I choose to reference editions that are not the most up to date, but that I am familiar with because they happen to be on my shelves.
** The basis of the nicknames I use for the various reference books that I refer to are presented in bold typeface. But it shouldn't take a genius to figure out what reference book each nickname is referring to.

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