Grasses and Rushes of Maine - Glen H. Mittelhauser, Matt Arsenault, Don Cameron, and Eric Doucette (paperback)

From the jacket: “Grasses and Rushes of Maine is a comprehensive field guide for all species of grass (family Poaceae) and rush (family Juncaceae) currently found in the state of Maine. It was designed for a wide range of readers and will be useful to botanists, ecologists, wetland scientists, students, naturalists, farmers, gardeners, and others interested in these often overlooked groups of plants.
Grasses and rushes are common components of ecosystems throughout the state, often found in both natural and human-altered landscapes. However, grasses and rushes are often excluded from botanical and natural community surveys because of the perceived difficulties in their identification. It is true that there are many species that are similar in appearance, and correct identification often relies on interpreting small structures that can be difficult to see with the naked eye. However, there are also many species that can be identified quite easily from a distance…”
Mittelhauser and his team provide an abundance of high-resolution photographs that bring this group to the easy(er) grasp of the reader. The excellent glossary makes terminology for this group quite manageable. And each species includes key characters for quick reference, as well as full descriptions, commonality, distribution, and habitat information. Although written for the state of Maine, the book is applicable to much of the Northeastern U.S. and Southern Canada. 752 pages.