Day 126: Irwin M. Brodo's "Lichens of North America" could easily be called "the field guide from hell." If you wanted to carry it on a field trip, I would strongly recommend hiring a fair-haired boy with a stout back. It weighs at least seven pounds according to my bathroom scale (possibly eight) and its encyclopedic size is matched by its content. Photos by Sylvia and Stephen Sharnoff appear on every page and for almost every species. It is the most expensive single-volume field guide I have ever added to my collection.
While I will not be bringing specimens home for chemical testing, I trust Brodo will increase my accuracy as far as identifying lichens from photos and field notes, and since my study of these fascinating "non-plants" is one I have long hoped to enlarge, I may have to build a stand for "Lichens of North America." It certainly isn't going to rest lightly on my chest as bedtime reading!
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