A useful text intended for those with a practical interest in plant identification and who wish to understand the scientific basis of the identification procedure. Should allow readers to identify any flowering plant family found wild or in cultivation in northern temperate regions. Keys and descriptions for 286 families are accompanied by a fully illustrated discussion of floral structure and terminology. In the latest edition the information on morphology and terminology has been restructured, the keys have been revised and improved, and the descriptions re-written so that they are more accessible and informative.