Botany and Plant Sciences

Table of Contents

• Find Articles
• Reference Resources (Internet)
• Find Books
• Reference Resources (Print)
• Internet Directories What’s Up in the Stacks (Books on the Fourth Floor)

Find Articles

• Academic OneFile Index (full text)
• Google Scholar
• Academic Search Elite (EBSCO) (full text)
• HighWire Press (some full text)
• Agricola Ingenta ConnectComplete (some full text)
• Biological Abstracts
• PubMed (Medline)
• BioMed Central (full text)
• PubMed Central (full text)
• Dissertations and Theses Full Text
• ScienceDirect (full text)
• DOAJ - Directory of Open Access Journals
• SpringerLink (sciences) (full text)
• Electronic Sites of Leading Botany,
• Plant Biology and Science Journals
• Wiley InterScience (full text)

Find a Book

• UNISTAR - The UNI Rod Library Catalog - is used to locate the books, journals (but not articles), and sound and video recordings found in this library.
• Google Book Search - view portions of recent books online.
  Set search to "Limited preview and Full view"
• OhioLink and Mobius - the shared catalogs of many libraries in Ohio and Missouri respectively, can be used to find books on soils not owned by the Rod Library. These systems will often search the titles of book chapters. Use Interlibrary Loan via UNISTAR.
• WorldCat - The catalog of catalogs!

Internet Directories

• Botanique - Portal to Gardens, Arboreta and Natural Sites
• Natural Selection
• Herberia - North America (Natural Selection)
• Scirus.com
• Internet Directory for Botany
• Virtual Library of Botany
• Iowa State University Herbarium – Ada Hayden Herbarium – Links: Iowa Flora, Natural Areas, and Related Sites

Reference Resources (Internet)

• Botany.com Gives a description, potting instructions, propagation directions, and lists varieties. Covers all major plant types.
• Plant Image Gallery (The Noble Foundation) Online images of grasses, forbs, vines, shrubs and trees. Features common name index, scientific name index, and family index.
• Garden Web Glossary "…contains 4400 terms relating to botany, gardening, horticulture and landscape architecture"
• University of Iowa Herbarium Plant lists for Iowa preserves. Endangered and fragile Iowa flora database.
• Plants Database Gives images, sketches of characteristic features, distribution, taxonmic classification (Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species) for almost every native North American plant. Contains a plants checklist for every state. Links to dozens of other useful sites.
• USDA Market Reports Daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly and annual reports for fruit and vegetable wholesale markets.

Reference Resources (Print)

Taxonomy & Identification

Families of Flowering Plants
(Ref QK 97 H82 1973)
Arranged by order, tribe and family this illustrated resource outlines distinguishing characteristics within and between the many taxonomic divisions.

Flora of North America
(Ref QK 110 F55 1993)
Vast and growing multi-volume set is one of the most complete resources for the identification and study of plants found in the United States and Canada.

Outline of Plant Classification
(Ref QK 97 H64 1983)
Arranged by Subdivision, Class and Order.

Plant Identification Terminology
(Ref QK 9 H37 1994)
Over 1700 illustrations accompany the thousands of commonly used terms in plant identification.

Wild Flowers of the United States
(Ref QK 115 R5)
Multi-volume resource covering thousand flowers in North America. Regions covered in seperate volumes: Northeastern States, Southeastern States, Texas, Southwestern States, Northwestern States, Central Mountains and Plains.

American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia
(Ref SB 403.2 A45 1997)
This resource provides information and photographs of a wide array of garden and house plants. Each entry contains brief physical descriptions as well as comments on cultivation, propagation, and common pests and diseases.

Encyclopedia of Gardening
(Ref SB 450.95 A45 1995)
A detailed resource focusing on gardening techniques.

Encyclopedia of Gardens
(Ref SB 465 E63 2001)
Descriptions and histories of famous gardens, biographies of influential architects/artists/gardeners, and entries focusing on horticultural and garden- design theories and practices.

Encyclopedia of Horticulture
(Ref SB 317.58 E94 10 vols)
This vast resource, published by the New York Botanical Garden, provides lengthy articles on many flowering plants (and vegetables). Entries, arranged by Genus, focus on history, physical description, cultivation and garden and landscape uses. Entries for hundreds of horticultural terms focusing on nutrients, plant characteristics and gardening techniques are intermixed with the various descriptions of flowers and vegetables.

Gardener's Atlas: The Origins, Discovery, and Cultivation of the World's Most Popular Garden Plants
(Ref SB 404.5 G75 1998)
Detailed background information and history of well known garden plants.

World Vegetables: Principles, Production and Nutritive Values
(Ref SB320.9 Y25 1983)
Includes origin, botanical description, optimal growing conditions, harvesting procedures, nutritive values (and in some cases toxicity), pests, diseases, and economic impact for over 16 groups of vegetables. Also includes sections on taxonomy, distribution and supply, and origin and evolution of vegetables in general.

Agriculture & Horticulture

American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia
(Ref SB 403.2 A45 1997)
This resource provides information and photographs of a wide array of garden and house plants. Each entry contains brief physical descriptions as well as comments on cultivation, propagation, and common pests and diseases.

Encyclopedia of Gardening
(Ref SB 450.95 A45 1995)
A detailed resource focusing on gardening techniques.

Encyclopedia of Gardens
(Ref SB 465 E63 2001)
Descriptions and histories of famous gardens, biographies of influential architects/artists/gardeners, and entries focusing on horticultural and garden- design theories and practices.

Encyclopedia of Horticulture
(Ref SB 317.58 E94 10 vols)
This vast resource, published by the New York Botanical Garden, provides lengthy articles on many flowering plants (and vegetables). Entries, arranged by Genus, focus on history, physical description, cultivation and garden and landscape uses. Entries for hundreds of horticultural terms focusing on nutrients, plant characteristics and gardening techniques are intermixed with the various descriptions of flowers and vegetables.

Gardener's Atlas: The Origins, Discovery,
and Cultivation of the World's Most Popular Garden Plants
(Ref SB 404.5 G75 1998)
Detailed background information and history of well known garden plants.

World Vegetables: Principles, Production and Nutritive Values
(Ref SB320.9 Y25 1983)
Includes origin, botanical description, optimal growing conditions, harvesting procedures, nutritive values (and in some cases toxicity), pests, diseases, and economic impact for over 16 groups of vegetables. Also includes sections on taxonomy, distribution and supply, and origin and evolution of vegetables in general.

Trees & Shrubs

Diseases of Trees and Shrubs
(Ref SB 762 S56 1987)
Describes the distribution, nature and progression of tree and shrub pathogens.

Insects that Feed on Trees and Shrubs
(Ref SB 762 J63 1988)
Describes the distribution and life cycles of tree and shrub pests, as well as identification and control of such insects.

Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines for Urban and Rural America
(Ref SB 435.5 H54 1988)
Hundreds of detailed sketches of trees and shrubs native to eastern, southern and Midwestern United States. Each entry contains detailed descriptions of plant physiology, habitats, and distribution.

Trees of the Northern United States and Canada
(Ref QK 110 F3 1995)
Very detailed sketches and pictures of leaves, seeds, buds, tree outlines, distribution maps. Each entry provides information about leaves, buds, twigs, flowers, fruits, bark, wood, overall size and shape, and habitat.

Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism
(Ref SB 351 H5 E52 1979B)
This resource contains sections on the cultivation, harvesting and final preparation of herbs. Much of this work focuses on descriptions of hundreds of herbs and commonly used plants. Each entry includes a physical description including medicinal constituents, current and historical uses of each plant, its distribution and cultivation.

Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses
(Ref SB 351 H5 B645 1995)
This superbly illustrated resource includes an Herb Catalog, arranged by Genus, with brief descriptions of grasses, flowering plants, shrubs, and trees and one or more photographs. A separate section of this resource features an Herb Dictionary that gives properties, culinary uses, medicinal uses, and economic uses, growth behavior and harvesting techniques for each plant.

Handbook of Medicinal Herbs
(Ref QK 99 A1 D83 1985)
This CRC Press resource provides a list of historical medicinal applications as well as chemical composition for hundreds of plants. Toxicities noted.

Herbs
(Ref SB351.H5 B6585 1994)
This richly illustrated guide provides brief physical descriptions and outlines the uses for various herbs and other commonly used plants from around the world.

Herbs in Bloom
(Ref SB 404.9 G37 1998)
This reference to cultivated herbs and ornamental plants is arranged alphabetically by genus. Each entry provides a photograph, various common names, a physical description and growth characteristics, historical significance, optimal growing conditions and in some instances discussion of related plants (same genus) of interest.

Herbs

Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism
(Ref SB 351 H5 E52 1979B)
This resource contains sections on the cultivation, harvesting and final preparation of herbs. Much of this work focuses on descriptions of hundreds of herbs and commonly used plants. Each entry includes a physical description including medicinal constituents, current and historical uses of each plant, its distribution and cultivation.

Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses
(Ref SB 351 H5 B645 1995)
This superbly illustrated resource includes an Herb Catalog, arranged by Genus, with brief descriptions of grasses, flowering plants, shrubs, and trees and one or more photographs. A separate section of this resource features an Herb Dictionary that gives properties, culinary uses, medicinal uses, and economic uses, growth behavior and harvesting techniques for each plant.

Handbook of Medicinal Herbs
(Ref QK 99 A1 D83 1985)
This CRC Press resource provides a list of historical medicinal applications as well as chemical composition for hundreds of plants. Toxicities noted.

Herbs
(Ref SB351.H5 B6585 1994)
This richly illustrated guide provides brief physical descriptions and outlines the uses for various herbs and other commonly used plants from around the world.

Herbs in Bloom
(Ref SB 404.9 G37 1998)
This reference to cultivated herbs and ornamental plants is arranged
alphabetically by genus. Each entry provides a photograph, various
common names, a physical description and growth characteristics,
historical significance, optimal growing conditions and in some
instances discussion of related plants (same genus) of interest.

Miscellaneous Plant Resources

Distribution of Iowa’s Endangered and Threatened Vascular Plants
(Ref QK 86 U6 R67 1989)
Each entry is accompanied by a state map indicating counties where plants have been documented both currently (as of 1989) and historically (prior to 1950).

Encyclopaedia of Ferns
(Ref SB 429 J66 1987)
Detailed work on fern physiology, classification, and cultivation with numerous brief descriptions of hundreds of species.

Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants
(Ref QK 98.5 U6 P47)
Illustrated guide provides physical descriptions of edible wild plants, their distribution and their potential uses as food. Toxic plants also noted.

Handbook of Edible Weeds
(Ref QK 98.5 U6 D85 1992)
Each entry provides an illustration, physical description, distribution and notes on how the plant is utilized as a food source.

RHS Encyclopedia of House Plants
(Ref SB 419 B334 1987)
Hundreds of entries and photos of houseplants with physical descriptions are alphabetically arranged by genus.

Weeds of the United States and Their Control
(Ref SB 612 A2 L67 1987)
Provides physical descriptions of hundreds of common U.S. weeds along with specific weed habitat and range. Each entry also contains suggested techniques for controlling the specific weed in question within garden, pasture, cropland and rangeland settings.

What's Up in the Stacks (Books on the Fourth Floor)

Thousands of books on a wide array of plant science and botanical topics can be found on the top (4th) floor of this library: