Three Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Colleagues Co-Author Guide to “Plants of the Texas Coastal Bend”
Book chronicles impressive variety of wild plants in 12 South Texas Counties

Three years after collaborating on their first book, three Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi colleagues have published their second guide to regional Texas flora.

“Plants of the Texas Coastal Bend” is a collaboration between Dr. Roy Lehman, associate professor of biology, Ruth O’Brien, curator of the University’s herbarium and Tammy White, laboratory coordinator. In 2002, they co-authored the guide “Plants of Webb County, Texas” which describes the desert-like flora outside of the Texas Coastal Bend. It is filled with photographs documenting common and interesting plants.

While the colleagues were working on the first book, they decided that it was important to update “Flora of the Texas Coastal Bend,” a guide by Fred C. Jones that was used as a textbook in the University’s botany classes. Jones’ book was outdated and contained many errors which caused difficulties for the students. The result was an easy-to-use reference book of more than one thousand of the region’s trees, shrubs, vines and wildflowers. The team researched plants in all or parts of 12 Coastal Bend areas including Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Goliad, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio and Victoria counties.

“There were lots of grueling and strenuous days under harsh field conditions,” said Lehman. “Collecting plants, pressing, cataloging, identifying, taking pictures and laboratory work were all done on weekends, spring break and during the summer.”

According to Lehman, Plants of the Texas Coastal Bend” is formatted in a common sense approach which aids readers in understanding the key characteristics that help separate plants so they can be easily identified. The book is organized by botanical class and then alphabetically by family, genus and species. The plants are characterized by appearance, size, and in the case of non-native species, place of origin. The book contains nearly 70 individual drawings and a CD with more than 750 digital images of flowering plants.

“The CD is a great tool,” said Lehman. “Not only does it show pictures of the flower, but also of the plant in its habitat with the leaves, seeds and fruit.”

The book, which is required for the University’s botany classes, can be purchased at the University Book Store, Barnes and Noble Booksellers, and on Amazon.com as well as other bookstores and museums in the area.

Lehman received an Earth Science certification from Corpus Christi State University in 1980 and, in 1983, received his master’s of science degree from the University. In 1993, he earned his Ph.D. in botany from Texas A&M University. Through the years, he has authored various books on subjects ranging from wetland oil spills to coral reef systems.

O’Brien received a bachelor’s degree in bacteriology from the University of Minnesota in 1945 and a master’s of science degree from Corpus Christi State University in 1980. She has volunteered at the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and Natural History for more than 40 years and has co-authored three other publications about plants.

White received a bachelor of science in 1995 from A&M-Corpus Christi and earned her master’s degree from the University in 1999. White has co-authored two other publications