Summer 2002

New Book Celebrates
the Sunflower Family

In the late eighties, Dr. Thomas Antonio, then at the Chicago Botanic Garden, began to search regional databases to answer plant questions from volunteers. Little did he know that his explorations would take him and co-author Susanne Masi on an odyssey across six midwest states, culminating in an expansive full-color book detailing the sunflower family, a group that accounts for about 80 percent of this region's autumn-blooming wildflowers.

The Sunflower Family in the Upper Midwest covers a remarkably varied group of plants that range from thistles and dandelions to asters and goldenrods. Said Antonio, "There are wonderful stories in the book, lots of interesting tidbits, not just scientific descriptions."

The book gets up-close and personal with each plant; detailed photos point out unique features to make identification easier. Below left: Flat-top aster at home in Bluff Spring Fen; below right: showing off its petals.

The range maps accompanying each species often reveal major differences between seemingly similar plants that may grow side by side in Chicago Wilderness. Below left, the prairie blazing star spreads west across the prairies, while the marsh blazing star, right, is found near Lake Michigan and eastward.

The book's entry for the golden ragwort shows it to be a member of one of the largest genera in the world: "The more than 1,200 named species of Senecio include tropical trees, small herbs in Arctic and Alpine regions and shrubs in New Zealand."

To photograph their subjects, the authors often followed leads from colleagues, at times driving hundreds of miles to find rare species surviving in only a few small areas.

Preserving these plants in their natural habitats is critical. Said Masi, "Sunflowers are not just isolated, interesting plants — they're part of a system. You can't just plant them in a garden to preserve them. The more you drive around this area, the more you see their habitat disappearing. Fortunately, many are still found in protected preserves."

Antonio is currently curator of collections at the Chicago Park District's Garfield Park Conservatory. Masi is research botanist at the Chicago Botanic Garden. To order a copy of Sunflower Family for $48, go to the publisher's Web site, www.indianaacademyofscience.org. Books are also available at the Chicago Botanic Garden, (847) 835-8336.