Hybrid Flora of the British Isles: authors awarded Engler Medal

Clive Stace in the Herbarium, Univ. Leicester
Image: L. Marsh

The three co-authors of the Hybrid Flora of the British Isles have just received one of the most prestigious international awards in botany.

The International Association of Plant Taxonomy (IAPT) awards the annual Engler Silver Medal, which honours the German systematist Adolf Engler (1844-1930). 

David Pearman at the England Red 
List launch, RBG Kew, 2014
Image: L. Marsh

Rudi Schmid, the chair of IAPT's Honours Committee, recently informed Clive Stace, Chris Preston and David Pearman that the Engler Silver Medal for 2016 will "commemorate your mammoth and outstanding compilation and synthesis Hybrid Flora of the British Isles (June 2015)".

The Hybrid Flora of the British Isles has already been hailed as a "remarkable book" and as ground-breaking in its way as our pioneering Atlas of the British Flora (1962) and its successor the New Atlas of the British & Irish Flora (2002) - two of whose authors were Chris Preston and David Pearman.

Chris Preston at the England Red List
launch, RBG Kew, 2014
Image: L. Marsh

The Hybrid Flora is destined to become as essential a publication as Clive Stace's New Flora of the British Isles. 

Now in its second print run, you can order the Hybrid Flora from Summerfield Books and other natural history booksellers.

Many congratulations to Clive, Chris and David on this award which I'm sure British and Irish botanists will agree is very well-deserved.

In their acknowledgements, the authors thank the many BSBI County Recorders, BSBI expert referees and herbarium curators whose contribution - providing records and information - to the Hybrid Flora helped ensure its success.