This is a bestselling source of information on how to go about identifying flowering plants. The dissection of flowers, the methods of observing their structure, and the application of these to identification are clearly described. Profusely illustrated with over 130 detailed line drawings and eight pages of colour plates, this book contains a comprehensive chapter on floral structure, and introductions to the arrangement of flowers on plants, reproduction, plant structure and function, and the way plants are grouped and named. The authors describe how to apply this information to the identification of flowering plants and how to use the appropriate reference books. The final chapter deals with common plant families that are widespread in Australia, with illustrated examples of plants common in cultivation or in the wild. In addition, other commonly cultivated native or introduced plants are noted so that the reader can compare locally available material with the illustrations. A comprehensive glossary and bibliography is a welcome addition.