Listmania!
Essential Botany
New Flora of the British IslesNew Flora of the British Isles by Clive Anthony Stace
Buy new: £39.61 / Used from: £30.00
The definitive single-volume British flora. Covers all native and most of the non-native species you may expect to find growing "wild" in Britain
Field Flora of the British IslesField Flora of the British Isles by Clive Anthony Stace
Buy new: £21.91 / Used from: £19.95
The cut down, pocket version of the above. Essential for the serious field botanist. Contains all the species of the above but the information is organised within the identification keys to save space
The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) - How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and IrelandThe Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) - How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland by Francis Rose
Buy new: £15.24 / Used from: £14.25
A very useful and informative field guide for the amateur botanist. The vegetative keys, organized by habitat, are especially useful, as is the key to grasses
Grasses: v. 1: A Guide to Their Structure, Identification, Uses and Distribution (Penguin Press Science)Grasses: v. 1: A Guide to Their Structure, Identification, Uses and Distribution (Penguin Press Science) by Charles Edward Hubbard
Buy new: £8.06 / Used from: £5.35
This is the definitive book on grasses. Contains loads of information and detailed b&w drawings of virtually all British species
Colour Identification Guide to the Grasses, Sedges, Rushes and Ferns of the British Isles and North Western EuropeColour Identification Guide to the Grasses, Sedges, Rushes and Ferns of the British Isles and North Western Europe by Francis Rose
Buy new: £30.22 / Used from: £29.21
And for those who want a colourful guide to grasses, sedge, rushes and ferns, this is the best available
The Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland: A New Guide to Our Wild Flowers (Tandem)The Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland: A New Guide to Our Wild Flowers (Tandem) by Marjorie Blamey
Buy used from: £100.70
This is complementary to Stace and covers nearly every species of vascular plant, including grasses, sedges and rushes
The Concise British Flora in ColourThe Concise British Flora in Colour by W. Keble Martin
Buy used from: £4.95
For the illustrations, this is my favourite. The downside, it uses old names, not all species are covered and grasses are in black & white
The Wild Flowers of the British IslesThe Wild Flowers of the British Isles by David Streeter
Buy used from: £24.76
For the illustrations, this is second only to Keble Martin. But more species are covered here and nomenclature is more up to date. No grasses, rushes or sedges though
British Plant Communities: Volume 1British Plant Communities: Volume 1
Buy new: £36.45 / Used from: £47.53
This and the following four volumes, no serious field botanist should be without. At the least, buy the one covering your favourite habitat/s
British Plant Communities Set of Volumes 1 to 5 (paperback): British Plant Communities: Mires and Heaths Vol 2 (British Plant Communities): Volume 2British Plant Communities Set of Volumes 1 to 5 (paperback): British Plant Communities: Mires and Heaths Vol 2 (British Plant Communities): Volume 2
Buy new: £36.55 / Used from: £34.39
See Number 9 above
British Plant Communities: Volume 3British Plant Communities: Volume 3
Buy new: £42.50 / Used from: £37.00
See Number 9 above
British Plant Communities: 4British Plant Communities: 4
Buy new: £40.85 / Used from: £30.00
See Number 9 above
British Plant Communities: Maritime Communities and Vegetation of Open Habitats Vol 5 (British Plant Communities)British Plant Communities: Maritime Communities and Vegetation of Open Habitats Vol 5 (British Plant Communities)
Buy new: £42.50 / Used from: £31.99
See Number 9 above
New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora: An Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Britain, Ireland, The Isle of Man and the Channel IslandsNew Atlas of the British and Irish Flora: An Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Britain, Ireland, The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands
A mighty tome, but being supplied with all maps on a CD ROM, you can keep it on your shelf to impress your botanical friends
Flora of Great Britain and Ireland: Volume 5, Butomaceae - Orchidaceae: Butomaceae - Orchidaceae v. 5Flora of Great Britain and Ireland: Volume 5, Butomaceae - Orchidaceae: Butomaceae - Orchidaceae v. 5 by Peter Sell
Buy new: £138.70 / Used from: £75.00
The first of a five volume set (published in reverse order) this is destined to become the standard flora of the British Isles once all volumes are completed
Flora of Great Britain and Ireland: Volume 4, Campanulaceae - Asteraceae: Campanulaceae - Asteraceae v. 4Flora of Great Britain and Ireland: Volume 4, Campanulaceae - Asteraceae: Campanulaceae - Asteraceae v. 4 by Peter Sell
Buy new: £138.70 / Used from: £134.95
The second of the eventual five volumes. Get it while you can! Volume 3 won't be published for a while yet
Flora Britannica: The Definitive New Guide to Britain's Wild Flowers, Plants and TreesFlora Britannica: The Definitive New Guide to Britain's Wild Flowers, Plants and Trees by Richard Mabey
Buy new: £24.36 / Used from: £19.99
Not exactly a field guide, but fascinating nontheless, for botanists and non-botanists alike
The Moss Flora of Britain and IrelandThe Moss Flora of Britain and Ireland by A. J. E. Smith
Buy new: £54.64 / Used from: £56.79
...not to leave out for 'the poor-relations' this is the standard British moss flora
The Liverworts of Britain and IrelandThe Liverworts of Britain and Ireland by Anthony John Edwin Smith
Buy new: £38.00 / Used from: £33.23
...and the standard British liverwort flora
British Mosses and Liverworts: An Introductory WorkBritish Mosses and Liverworts: An Introductory Work by E. V. Watson
Buy new: £45.74 / Used from: £35.94
...but if you want an introduction to both, in a single handy volume, this is the book to buy