Moore, P. D., J. A. Webb, and M. E. Collinson, 1991

This volume is comparable to Faegri and Iversen's fourth edition of Textbook of Pollen Analysis (CAP Newsletter 13(2):22-23). Both contain pollen and spore keys that identify about 450 taxa using somewhat different terminology. MW&C have a more detailed key (83 pages) illustrated with 71 plates of splendid photographs, whereas the more terse key (56 pages) of F&I has a relatively few marginal drawings. The keyed taxa now grow in northwestern Europe either as natives or as introductions or once grew there but have become extinct in the Quaternary. Consequently, almost all Canadian Quaternary types are in the key: exceptions include Cephalanthus, Shepherdia, Iva, and Tsuga mertensiana. For palaeopalynologists working in Canada this key contains perhaps 300 types that they are unlikely to encounter; McAndrews et al. (1973) is more useful and still available at $7.50. The key should also be useful for honey, forensic, and allergy studies. The text is concise and well written; last week I recommended the 10 page chapter "Interpreting Pollen Data" to an undergraduate writing a term paper.

Reference

McAndrews, J. H., A. A. Berti, and G. Norris, 1973. Key to the Pollen and Spores of the Great Lakes Region. Royal Ontario Museum, Life Sciences Miscellaneous Publication, Toronto. Third printing. 64 pp.