Off the Press: Roland's Flora of Nova Scotia

Summer 1998 has arrived, and with it fruitful bogs, wildflower meadows, leafy forests and a new book, Roland's Flora of Nova Scotia. This useful publication is being launched Wednesday, June 17, at 6 p.m. at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History in Halifax.

Experiencing and appreciating nature has become one of the most passionate leisure activities in the world. Whether bird watching, hiking, photographing plants, or doing environmental consulting, outdoor enthusiasts and scientists will find this book informative.

"Our province is home to an amazing variety of plant life, each with its own unique and fascinating natural history," said Education and Culture Minister Robbie Harrison. "Roland's Flora of Nova Scotia documents that natural history, enabling us to see the natural world with greater depth of understanding, finer appreciation and renewed wonder. It is a gift to us all."

Do you know what bakeapples, chokecherries and meadowsweet have in common? Can you recognize ostrich fern and do you know where it grows? How about which fruits and herbs are edible and which will make you ill? If you find these are interesting questions, then Roland's Flora of Nova Scotia will help you find the answers. It's easy to use and chock-full of concise descriptions, clear drawings, maps, illustrated glossaries, and aid keys to identify wild plants. It has even been field-tested by members of the botanical community.

The Flora of Nova Scotia was written by Albert E. Roland and first published in 1944. A second edition by Drs. Roland and E.C. Smith was released in two parts in 1964 and 1969. The earlier editions were primarily scientific documents used by scholars and students studying botany.

Roland's Flora of Nova Scotia, revised by Marian Zinck, stands on the shoulders of those earlier works.

Debra Burleson, director of the Museum of Natural History, said the new Flora of Nova Scotia draws upon Dr. Roland's lifelong study and is a wonderful collection of the wild plants we know to exist to date.

"Dr. Roland devoted his life to teaching and studying the flora of our province. This new book also reflects the work of many other Nova Scotian botanists and naturalists who gave freely of their time and expertise so others might also understand and enjoy wild plants."

Roland's Flora of Nova Scotia is organized to reflect the natural relationships among various plants. In addition, the family, genus and species descriptions are new, as well as the addition of notes on folklore, herbal species and dangerous species.

It provides users with the tools needed to discover these plants, and is a valuable contribution to the understanding of the province's natural history.

The two-volume set of Roland's Flora of Nova Scotia sells for $70.