Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Flora shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Flora offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Flora at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Flora? Wrong! If the Flora is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Flora then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Flora? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Flora and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Flora wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Flora then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Flora site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Flora, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Flora, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
In botany,
flora (
plural: floras or florae) has two meanings. The first meaning, or
flora of an area or of time period, refers to all plant life occurring in an area or time period, especially the naturally occurring or indigenous plant life. The second meaning refers to a
book or other work which describes the
plant species occurring in an area or time period, with the aim of allowing identification. Some classic and modern floras are listed below.
The term flora comes from Latin language Flora (goddess), the goddess of
flowers in Roman mythology. The corresponding term for
animal life is Fauna (animals).
Flora,
fauna and other forms of
Kingdom (biology) such as fungi are collectively referred to as Biota (taxonomy). In relation to all the flora and fauna of a region, it is collectively referred to as
biota (ecology).
Flora classifications
Plants are grouped into floras based on region, period, special environment, or climate. Regions can be geographically distinct habitats like mountain vs. flatland. Floras can mean plant life of an historic era as in
fossil flora. Lastly, floras may be subdivided by special environments:
- Native flora. The native and indigenous flora of an area.
- Agricultural and garden flora. The plants that are deliberately grown by humans.
- Weed flora. Traditionally this classification was applied to plants regarded as undesirable, and studied in efforts to control or eradicate them. Today the designation is less often used as a classification of plant life, since it includes three different types of plants: weedy species, invasive species (that may or may not be weedy), and native and introduced non-weedy species that are agriculturally undesirable. Many native plants previously considered weeds have been shown to be beneficial or even necessary to various ecosystems.
Bacterial organisms are sometimes included in a flora . Other times, the terms
bacterial flora and
plant flora are used separately.
Flora treatises
Traditionally floras are books, but some are now published on
CD-ROM or websites. The area that a flora covers can be either geographically or politically defined. Floras usually require some specialist botanical knowledge to use with any effectiveness.
A flora often contains diagnostic keys. Often these are
identification key, which require the user to repeatedly examine a plant, and decide which one of two alternatives given in the flora best applies to the plant.
Classic floras
Europe
- Flora Londinensis, William Curtis. England 1777- 1798
- Flora Graeca, John Sibthorp. (England) 1806 - 1840
- Flora Danica, Simon Paulli. Denmark, 1847.
- Flora Jenensis, Heinrich Bernhard Rupp Germany, 1718.
- Flora Scorer, Paolo Di Canio. 1723.
- Flora Suecica, Carolus Linnaeus. 1745.
India
Indonesia
Modern floras
Americas
Caribbean
- Britton, N. L., and Percy Wilson. Scientific Survey of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands — Volume V, Part 1: Botany of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands: Pandanales to Thymeleales. New York City: New York Academy of Sciences, 1924.
Central & South America
- Flora Brasiliensis
- Flora of São Paulo in Brazil
- Flora de Chile
- Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica
- Flora of Ecuador
- Flora of Guatemala
- Flora de Nicaragua
- Flora of Peru
- Flora of the Guianas
- Flora of Panama
- Flora del Paraguay
- Flora of Suriname
- Flora Mesoamericana (1994-ongoing) Introduction
- Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana
- Flora Neotropica (1968-ongoing) Organising committee website.
North America
- Flora of North America
- Kearney, Thomas H. Arizona Flora. University of California Press, 1940.
- Hickman, James C., editor. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press, 1993.
- Hultén, Eric. Flora of Alaska and Neighboring Territories: A Manual of the Vascular Plants. Stanford University Press, 1968.
- Radford, Albert E. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. University of North Carolina Press, 1968.
- Hitchcock, C. Leo, and Arthur Cronquist. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1973.
- Chadde, Steve W., and Steve Chadde. A Great Lakes Wetland Flora. 2nd ed. Pocketflora Press, 2002. ISBN 0-9651385-5-0
- P. D. Strausbaugh and Earl L. Core. Flora of West Virginia. 2nd ed. Seneca Books Inc., 1964. ISBN 0-89092-010-9
- Ann Fouler Rhoads and Timothy A. Block. The Plants of Pennsylvania. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000. ISBN 0-8122-3535-5
- Nathaniel Lord Britton and Hon. Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. In three volumes. Dover Publications, 1913, 1970. ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Asia
China and Japan
- Flora of China
- Flora of China in eFloras
- Flora of Japan
Southeast Asia
- Flora of Thailand
- Florae Siamensis Enumeratio
- Flora Malesiana (1984-ongoing) About Flora Malesiana.
- Flora of the Malay Peninsula
- Flore du Cambodge, du Laos et du Viêt-Nam
Indian region and Sri Lanka
- Flora of Bhutan
- Flora of the Presidency of Madras by J.S. Gamble (1915-36)
- Flora of Nepal
- Bengal Plants by D. Prain (1903)
- Flora of the upper Gangetic plains by J. F. Duthie (1903-29)
- Botany of Bihar and Orissa by H.H. Haines (1921-25)
- Flora of British India (1872-1897) by Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
Middle East and western Asia
- Flora of Turkey
- Flora Iranica
- Flora Palaestina:
- M. Zohary (1966). Flora Palaestina part 1.
- M. Zohary (1972). Flora Palaestina part 2.
- N. Feinbrun (1978). Flora Palaestina part 3.
- N. Feinbrun (1986). Flora Palaestina part 4.
- A. Danin, (2004). Distribution Atlas of Plants in the Flora Palaestina Area (Flora Palaestina part 5).
- Online updates: http://flora.huji.ac.il/browse.asp?lang=en&action=showfile&fileid=14005
Australasia
- Flora of Australia (series)
- Flora of New Zealand series:
- Allan, H.H. 1961, reprinted 1982. Flora of New Zealand. Volume I: Indigenous Tracheophyta - Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledons. ISBN 0-477-01056-3.
- Moore, L.B.; Edgar, E. 1970, reprinted 1976. Flora of New Zealand. Volume II: Indigenous Tracheophyta - Monocotyledons except Graminae. ISBN 0-477-01889-0.
- Healy, A.J.; Edgar, E. 1980. Flora of New Zealand Volume III. Adventive Cyperaceous, Petalous & Spathaceous Monocotyledons. ISBN 0-477-01041-5.
- Webb, C.J.; Sykes, W.R.;Garnock-Jones, P.J. 1988. Flora of New Zealand Volume IV: Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons. ISBN 0-477-02529-3.
- Edgar, E.; Connor, H.E. 2000. Flora of New Zealand Volume V: Grasses. ISBN 0-478-09331-4.
- Volumes I-V: First electronic edition, Landcare Research, June 2004. Transcribed by A.D. Wilton and I.M.L. Andres.
- Galloway, D.J. 1985. Flora of New Zealand: Lichens. ISBN 0-477-01266-3.
- Croasdale, H.; Flint, E.A. 1986. Flora of New Zealand: Desmids. Volume I. ISBN 0-477-02530-7.
- Croasdale, H.; Flint, E.A. 1988. Flora of New Zealand: Desmids. Volume II. ISBN 0-477-01353-8.
- Croasdale, H.; Flint, E.A.;Racine, M.M. 1994. Flora of New Zealand: Desmids. Volume III. ISBN 0-477-01642-1.
- Sykes, W.R.; West, C.J.; Beever, J.E.; Fife, A.J. 2000. Kermadec Islands Flora - Special Edition. ISBN 0-478-09339-X.
Pacific Islands
- Flora Vitiensis Nova, a New Flora of Fiji
- Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai‘i, Warren L. Wagner and Derral R. Herbst (1991) + suppl.
- Flore de la Nouvelle-Calédonie
- Flore de la Polynésie Française (J. Florence, vol. 1 & 2, 1997 & 2004)
Europe
British Isles
- Morton, O.Osborne Morton
- Stace, Clive Anthony, and Hilli Thompson (illustrator). A New Flora of the British Isles. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-521-58935-5.
- Beesley, S. and J. Wilde. Urban Flora of Belfast. Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University of Belfast, 1997.
- Killick, John, Roy Perry and Stan Woodell. Flora of Oxfordshire. Pisces Publications, 1998. ISBN 1-874357-07-2.
- Humphry Bowen. The Flora of Dorset. Pisces Publications, 2000. ISBN 1-874357-16-1.
- Flora Celtica Plants and people in Celtic Europe
- Flora Europaea at the site of The Royal Botanical Gardens of Edinburgh Flora Europaea
- Flora of Europe
- Flora iberica
- Flora of Acores
- Flora Danica
- Flora of Romania
Africa and Madagascar
- Flore du Gabon
- Flore du Cameroun
- Flora of Tropical Africa
- Flora of Tropical East Africa
- Flora Capensis
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Flora of South Africa
- Flore du Rwanda
- Flore de Madagascar et des Comores
Flora on Wikipedia
Wikipedia has the following mainly flora categories:
:Category:Flora of Oceania:Category:Flora of Africa:Category:Flora of Antarctica:Category:Flora of Asia:Category:Flora of Europe:Category:Flora of South America:Category:Flora of the Caribbean:Category:Flora of Central America:Category:Flora of North America
See also
External links
- eFloras — a collection of on-line floras
- Chilebosque — checklist of Chilean native flora
- Flora of NW Europe with descriptions and a quiz to test your knowledge
- Flora of Israel Online
- Flora of Australia Online
- Flora of New Zealand Series Online
In botany,
flora (
plural: floras or florae) has two meanings. The first meaning, or
flora of an area or of time period, refers to all plant life occurring in an area or time period, especially the naturally occurring or indigenous plant life. The second meaning refers to a
book or other work which describes the plant
species occurring in an area or time period, with the aim of allowing identification. Some classic and modern floras are listed below.
The term flora comes from
Latin language Flora (goddess), the
goddess of
flowers in Roman mythology. The corresponding term for
animal life is
Fauna (animals).
Flora,
fauna and other forms of
Kingdom (biology) such as
fungi are collectively referred to as Biota (taxonomy). In relation to all the flora and fauna of a region, it is collectively referred to as biota (ecology).
Flora classifications
Plants are grouped into floras based on region, period, special environment, or climate. Regions can be geographically distinct habitats like mountain vs. flatland. Floras can mean plant life of an historic era as in
fossil flora. Lastly, floras may be subdivided by special environments:
- Native flora. The native and indigenous flora of an area.
- Agricultural and garden flora. The plants that are deliberately grown by humans.
- Weed flora. Traditionally this classification was applied to plants regarded as undesirable, and studied in efforts to control or eradicate them. Today the designation is less often used as a classification of plant life, since it includes three different types of plants: weedy species, invasive species (that may or may not be weedy), and native and introduced non-weedy species that are agriculturally undesirable. Many native plants previously considered weeds have been shown to be beneficial or even necessary to various ecosystems.
Bacterial organisms are sometimes included in a flora . Other times, the terms
bacterial flora and
plant flora are used separately.
Flora treatises
Traditionally floras are books, but some are now published on CD-ROM or
websites. The area that a flora covers can be either geographically or politically defined. Floras usually require some specialist botanical knowledge to use with any effectiveness.
A flora often contains diagnostic keys. Often these are
identification key, which require the user to repeatedly examine a plant, and decide which one of two alternatives given in the flora best applies to the plant.
Classic floras
Europe
India
- Hortus indicus malabaricus, Hendrik van Rheede 1683–1703
Indonesia
Modern floras
Americas
Caribbean
- Britton, N. L., and Percy Wilson. Scientific Survey of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands — Volume V, Part 1: Botany of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands: Pandanales to Thymeleales. New York City: New York Academy of Sciences, 1924.
Central & South America
- Flora Brasiliensis
- Flora of São Paulo in Brazil
- Flora de Chile
- Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica
- Flora of Ecuador
- Flora of Guatemala
- Flora de Nicaragua
- Flora of Peru
- Flora of the Guianas
- Flora of Panama
- Flora del Paraguay
- Flora of Suriname
- Flora Mesoamericana (1994-ongoing) Introduction
- Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana
- Flora Neotropica (1968-ongoing) Organising committee website.
North America
- Flora of North America
- Kearney, Thomas H. Arizona Flora. University of California Press, 1940.
- Hickman, James C., editor. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press, 1993.
- Hultén, Eric. Flora of Alaska and Neighboring Territories: A Manual of the Vascular Plants. Stanford University Press, 1968.
- Radford, Albert E. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. University of North Carolina Press, 1968.
- Hitchcock, C. Leo, and Arthur Cronquist. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1973.
- Chadde, Steve W., and Steve Chadde. A Great Lakes Wetland Flora. 2nd ed. Pocketflora Press, 2002. ISBN 0-9651385-5-0
- P. D. Strausbaugh and Earl L. Core. Flora of West Virginia. 2nd ed. Seneca Books Inc., 1964. ISBN 0-89092-010-9
- Ann Fouler Rhoads and Timothy A. Block. The Plants of Pennsylvania. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000. ISBN 0-8122-3535-5
- Nathaniel Lord Britton and Hon. Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. In three volumes. Dover Publications, 1913, 1970. ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Asia
China and Japan
- Flora of China
- Flora of China in eFloras
- Flora of Japan
Southeast Asia
- Flora of Thailand
- Florae Siamensis Enumeratio
- Flora Malesiana (1984-ongoing) About Flora Malesiana.
- Flora of the Malay Peninsula
- Flore du Cambodge, du Laos et du Viêt-Nam
Indian region and Sri Lanka
- Flora of Bhutan
- Flora of the Presidency of Madras by J.S. Gamble (1915-36)
- Flora of Nepal
- Bengal Plants by D. Prain (1903)
- Flora of the upper Gangetic plains by J. F. Duthie (1903-29)
- Botany of Bihar and Orissa by H.H. Haines (1921-25)
- Flora of British India (1872-1897) by Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
Middle East and western Asia
- Flora of Turkey
- Flora Iranica
- Flora Palaestina:
- M. Zohary (1966). Flora Palaestina part 1.
- M. Zohary (1972). Flora Palaestina part 2.
- N. Feinbrun (1978). Flora Palaestina part 3.
- N. Feinbrun (1986). Flora Palaestina part 4.
- A. Danin, (2004). Distribution Atlas of Plants in the Flora Palaestina Area (Flora Palaestina part 5).
- Online updates: http://flora.huji.ac.il/browse.asp?lang=en&action=showfile&fileid=14005
Australasia
- Flora of Australia (series)
- Flora of New Zealand series:
- Allan, H.H. 1961, reprinted 1982. Flora of New Zealand. Volume I: Indigenous Tracheophyta - Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledons. ISBN 0-477-01056-3.
- Moore, L.B.; Edgar, E. 1970, reprinted 1976. Flora of New Zealand. Volume II: Indigenous Tracheophyta - Monocotyledons except Graminae. ISBN 0-477-01889-0.
- Healy, A.J.; Edgar, E. 1980. Flora of New Zealand Volume III. Adventive Cyperaceous, Petalous & Spathaceous Monocotyledons. ISBN 0-477-01041-5.
- Webb, C.J.; Sykes, W.R.;Garnock-Jones, P.J. 1988. Flora of New Zealand Volume IV: Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons. ISBN 0-477-02529-3.
- Edgar, E.; Connor, H.E. 2000. Flora of New Zealand Volume V: Grasses. ISBN 0-478-09331-4.
- Volumes I-V: First electronic edition, Landcare Research, June 2004. Transcribed by A.D. Wilton and I.M.L. Andres.
- Galloway, D.J. 1985. Flora of New Zealand: Lichens. ISBN 0-477-01266-3.
- Croasdale, H.; Flint, E.A. 1986. Flora of New Zealand: Desmids. Volume I. ISBN 0-477-02530-7.
- Croasdale, H.; Flint, E.A. 1988. Flora of New Zealand: Desmids. Volume II. ISBN 0-477-01353-8.
- Croasdale, H.; Flint, E.A.;Racine, M.M. 1994. Flora of New Zealand: Desmids. Volume III. ISBN 0-477-01642-1.
- Sykes, W.R.; West, C.J.; Beever, J.E.; Fife, A.J. 2000. Kermadec Islands Flora - Special Edition. ISBN 0-478-09339-X.
Pacific Islands
- Flora Vitiensis Nova, a New Flora of Fiji
- Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai‘i, Warren L. Wagner and Derral R. Herbst (1991) + suppl.
- Flore de la Nouvelle-Calédonie
- Flore de la Polynésie Française (J. Florence, vol. 1 & 2, 1997 & 2004)
Europe
British Isles
- Morton, O.Osborne Morton
- Stace, Clive Anthony, and Hilli Thompson (illustrator). A New Flora of the British Isles. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-521-58935-5.
- Beesley, S. and J. Wilde. Urban Flora of Belfast. Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University of Belfast, 1997.
- Killick, John, Roy Perry and Stan Woodell. Flora of Oxfordshire. Pisces Publications, 1998. ISBN 1-874357-07-2.
- Humphry Bowen. The Flora of Dorset. Pisces Publications, 2000. ISBN 1-874357-16-1.
- Flora Celtica Plants and people in Celtic Europe
- Flora Europaea at the site of The Royal Botanical Gardens of Edinburgh Flora Europaea
- Flora of Europe
- Flora iberica
- Flora of Acores
- Flora Danica
- Flora of Romania
Africa and Madagascar
- Flore du Gabon
- Flore du Cameroun
- Flora of Tropical Africa
- Flora of Tropical East Africa
- Flora Capensis
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Flora of South Africa
- Flore du Rwanda
- Flore de Madagascar et des Comores
Flora on Wikipedia
Wikipedia has the following mainly flora categories:
:Category:Flora of Oceania:Category:Flora of Africa:Category:Flora of Antarctica:Category:Flora of Asia:Category:Flora of Europe:Category:Flora of South America:Category:Flora of the Caribbean:Category:Flora of Central America:Category:Flora of North America
See also
External links
- eFloras — a collection of on-line floras
- Chilebosque — checklist of Chilean native flora
- Flora of NW Europe with descriptions and a quiz to test your knowledge
- Flora of Israel Online
- Flora of Australia Online
- Flora of New Zealand Series Online
Flora Love Your Heart
Gloria Hunniford lowered her cholesterol level using Flora pro.activ. She's now challenging four members of the public to do the same.
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History of the event, charity details, merchandise, past results, news articles, registration and tourism information.
Flora London Marathon 2009 - Welcome
Virgin signs 2010 London Marathon sponsorship deal Virgin has signed a five-year deal to be the official sponsor of the...
Flora-tec corporate interior and exterior garden landscaping.
Floratec are an independent award winning company with an enviable reputation of offering solutions to all your corporate horticultural requirements.
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Healthcare Professionals
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Flora Rachel Beatrice Pizey florap At paneris.org Ellie. Ellie and Flora on Almouth Beach 2006/08/08 Flora on Lindisfarne Abbey 2006/08/08 Birth day
Flora - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In botany, flora (plural: floras or florae) has two meanings. The first meaning, flora of an area or of time period, refers to all plant life occurring in an area or time period ...
Flora Locale
Promotes the managed use of native plants for ecological restoration projects in the UK and Ireland. Includes details of training courses and other events, a bulletin board, and ...
Bristol garden design_ Flora Design home page
Flora Design is based in Bristol, UK. We provide professional drawings, tailored to meet individual requirements. Other services include monitoring garden build, providing ...