The Red Book and Green Books have long histories, dating back to 1979 and 1980 respectively. The current format of the Red Book was first released in 2006 with the Green Book following the year after in 2007. Upon release, they immediately set a new benchmark for rainforest plant identification in SEQ.
The Second Edition of the Red Book was released in 2018 and now covers 880 species of rainforest trees and shrubs. The Red and Green Books both contain line drawings of plant leaves or other key characteristics with the layout using a synoptic key that arranges all species into 17 major groupings.
In 2014, the Red and Green Books were merged into one remarkable interactive USB or app. Moving to a digital platform created space for photographs. The USB includes over 12,000 images and the app has over 8,000 images. The multitude of images offers a whole new level of assistance with identification. Powered by Lucid, the USB and app have an interactive key where the user can select certain traits of the plant such as leaf, flower, fruit, bark or location to narrow down identification quickly and without using botanical terms.
Whether you use the Red or Green Books, the USB or the app, this is a valuable body of work to tap into to learn more about the rainforests on your property or region.
