Book excerpt: The definitive field guide to the magnificent wildflowers of the Adirondacks. Covering more than six million acres of protected wilderness, the Adirondacks, with their landscape of high peaks, verdant wetlands, majestic trees, and lush carpets of flowers, is a pristine paradise for nature lovers. The only available identification guide to the Adirondack region's wildflowers, this comprehensive resource is packed with more than 300 gorgeous color images, one to represent almost every flower commonly found in this huge range. Revealing the stunning diversity of Adirondack wildflowers, from goldenrod and marsh blue violet to cattails and hellebore, the book includes • detailed botanical species accounts, arranged by flower color • images of each flower that highlight key features for easy ID • information about each species' natural history • descriptions of the region's upland, wetland, and aquatic habitats • a special section on the nearly 40 terrestrial orchid species found in the Adirondacks Written by Donald J. Leopold and Lytton John Musselman, skilled botanists and the foremost authorities on these plants, this superior quality guide will appeal to residents of and visitors to the Adirondacks and northeastern mountains, including wildlife professionals, citizen scientists, backpackers, campers, photographers, bird watchers, artists, and wild food foragers.