Richard John Torrens
Freshwater habitats

Aquatic life

Bibliography

Good books on aquatic life seem rare: as in many scientific fields, there are simply not enough sales to support specialist books nowadays. Many of the best books are now out of print and only available secondhand. So here are listed some of the books that I know.

If you are interested in identifying plants, you will need several books: plants of all types (and in particular water plants) are very variable and you will need to use several different illustrations, descriptions and photos to identify a plant: even with several books, it is not easy as many plants form hybrids - which are not in any book!

Also - it is impossible to define what is a water plant and what is a land plant: many plants will grow happily on land or in water. So if you are identifying palnts, general wild flower books are also a necessity.

Title Author First Publish Publisher Reprinted Publisher ISBN No

. . . . . . .

Botany

Water Plants Agnes Arber 1920 Cambridge University Press 1963 Wheldon & Wesley .

A botanical study of Aquatic Angiosperms

Plant identification

Flora of the British Isles Clapham, Tutin and Warburg 1952 Cambridge University Press . . .

Probably the master botanical identification guide, but contains no pictures.

British Water Plants Haslam. Sinker and Wolseley 1975 Field Studies Council 1982 . ISBN 1 85153 107 3

Specifically about water plants and identification

Excursion Flora of the British Isles Clapham, Tutin and Warburg 1952 Cambridge University Press 1959, 1964, 1973, 1981 . ISBN 0 521 23290 (Third edition)

Abridged version of above, in paperback format.

The Concise British Flora in Colour W Keble Martin 1965 Ebury Press / Michael Joseph 1967, 1969, 1971 Sphere Books Ltd .

The Hard bound version

The Concise British Flora in Colour W Keble Martin 1965 Ebury Press / Michael Joseph Ltd 1967, 1969, 1971 Sphere Books Ltd .

The paper-back version

Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Ireland Richard Fitter, Alastair Fitter and Marjorie Blamey 1974 . . . .

Wild Flowers of Britain Roger Phillips Pan books Ltd 1977 . . ISBN 0 330 25183X

Entirely photographic, so not as comprehensive as the other books, but a valuable addition to the bookshelf!

The Wild Flower Key Francis Rose 1981 Frederick Warne . . ISBN 0 7232 2418 8 (Hard back)
ISBN 0 7232 2419 6 (Paper back)

The Wild Flowers of the British Isles Ian Garrard and David Streeter Midsummer Books Ltd 1993 . 1998 ISBN 1 900732 03 3

An excellent book.

Water life, general

The Freshwater life of the British Isles John Clegg 1952 Frederick Warne & Co Ltd . . .

A 'Wayside and Woodland' series book. A reference and identification guide

Life in Lakes and Rivers T T Macan and E B Worthington 1951 Collins . .

'The New Naturalist' series - A study of aquatic ecology

Rivers Lakes and Marshes Brian Whitton 1979 Hodder and Stoughton . . ISBN 0 340 23155 6

'The Natural History of Britain and Northern Europe' series.
Covers plants, birds, mammals etc. There are 4 other books in the series: 'Towns and Gardens', 'Mountains and Moorlands', Fields and lowlands', 'Coasts and Estuaries'

Title	Author	First Publish	Publisher	Reprinted	Publisher	ISBN No
.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Botany
Water Plants	Agnes Arber	1920	Cambridge University Press	1963	Wheldon & Wesley	.
	A botanical study of Aquatic Angiosperms
Plant identification
Flora of the British Isles	Clapham, Tutin and Warburg	1952	Cambridge University Press	.	.	.
	Probably the master botanical identification guide, but contains no pictures.
British Water Plants	Haslam. Sinker and Wolseley	1975	Field Studies Council	1982	.	ISBN 1 85153 107 3
	Specifically about water plants and identification
Excursion Flora of the British Isles	Clapham, Tutin and Warburg	1952	Cambridge University Press	1959, 1964, 1973, 1981	.	ISBN 0 521 23290 (Third edition)
	Abridged version of above, in paperback format.
The Concise British Flora in Colour	W Keble Martin	1965	Ebury Press / Michael Joseph	1967, 1969, 1971	Sphere Books Ltd	.
	The Hard bound version
The Concise British Flora in Colour	W Keble Martin	1965	Ebury Press / Michael Joseph Ltd	1967, 1969, 1971	Sphere Books Ltd	.
	The paper-back version
Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Ireland	Richard Fitter, Alastair Fitter and Marjorie Blamey	1974	.	.	.	.
Wild Flowers of Britain	Roger Phillips	Pan books Ltd	1977	.	.	ISBN 0 330 25183X
	Entirely photographic, so not as comprehensive as the other books, but a valuable addition to the bookshelf!
The Wild Flower Key	Francis Rose	1981	Frederick Warne	.	.	ISBN 0 7232 2418 8 (Hard back) ISBN 0 7232 2419 6 (Paper back)
The Wild Flowers of the British Isles	Ian Garrard and David Streeter	Midsummer Books Ltd	1993	.	1998	ISBN 1 900732 03 3
	An excellent book.
Water life, general
The Freshwater life of the British Isles	John Clegg	1952	Frederick Warne & Co Ltd	.	.	.
	A 'Wayside and Woodland' series book. A reference and identification guide
Life in Lakes and Rivers	T T Macan and E B Worthington	1951	Collins	.	.
	'The New Naturalist' series - A study of aquatic ecology
Rivers Lakes and Marshes	Brian Whitton	1979	Hodder and Stoughton	.	.	ISBN 0 340 23155 6
	'The Natural History of Britain and Northern Europe' series. Covers plants, birds, mammals etc. There are 4 other books in the series: 'Towns and Gardens', 'Mountains and Moorlands', Fields and lowlands', 'Coasts and Estuaries'

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Page first published 14th November 2002
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Richard John TorrensFreshwater habitats

Bibliography

Richard John Torrens
Freshwater habitats