Date of this Version
This wonderful and long overdue contribution to the regional literature provides a list of native edible plants of the prairie-grasslands and adjoining forest ecosystems. Kindscher is thorough and careful. She provides current and accurate scientific names of the plants as well as Indian and common names. Her detailed descriptions of the uses of the plants are taken from seventeen plains Indian tribes, from diverse settlers' journals, and in many cases from her own experiences of eating the plant. The line drawings are excellent and the helpful range maps make it easy to determine if a particular plant is likely to occur in one's area. Kindscher carefully cites her different sources and provides an extensive hihliography. In a genre that includes hooks of garhled names, no sources, and inscrutahle pictures,Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie is an outstanding example of what such hooks can he.