Flora of Indiana

Flora of Indiana has served as the standard by which other state floras must be compared. Now over 60 years old, it has clearly withstood the test of time, and continues to be a primary source of information for any serious student of field botany. Deam insisted upon the highest standards for his work, and strove to make the Flora as accurate as possible.  He examined over 84,000 specimens in preparation for the book, and from these he prepared keys, species accounts, and range maps showing species occurrence by county. Although these maps reflect the knowledge only as it existed in 1940, they continue to be useful today in determining a species' general range in the state. This is especially helpful for the beginner, or one not familiar with Indiana's flora, as it can reduce the field of options when trying to determine an unknown plant's identity.

Information in Flora has also been very useful in the restoration of landscapes. Because Deam collected plants in every township of the state, we have an excellent record of what occurred in an area historically. This has been especially helpful when attempting to restore areas that no longer possess their native vegetation. A prime example involves an area in Daviess County, Indiana, where a major restoration project conducted by the Division of Nature Preserves has relied heavily on the Flora and Deam’s plant collection for guidance. Landscape restorationists throughout the state would do well by utilizing the Flora in similar fashion.