A Second Book Of South Africa Flowers

Beautiful gift and resource to the wildflowers in the varied regions of South Africa

This book covers more than 300 plants, all accompanied by colour photographs showing the whole plant as well as selected features such as flowers, fruit, leaves and bark. The text comprises a description of each plant, location maps, its usages - including medicinal uses - and advice on cultivation.

Field Guide to Wildflowers of South Africa describes more than 1 100 of the shrubs and herbs of the region, highlighting the most conspicuous species and those most likely to be encountered across the country. The emphasis is on identifying plants progressively to family, genus and species level: a novel identification aid and easy-to-use keys guide users to the correct family and genus, while individual species descriptions, accompanied by a clear photograph, distribution map and an indication of flowering season, help them to pinpoint the plant. By using the guide, wild-flower enthusiasts at all levels will now be able to accurately identify plants in any part of South africa.

This text gives biographical accounts of the leading plant collectors and their activities in Southern Africa from the days of the East India Company until modern times.

Southern African Wild Flowers takes readers on a journey through the diverse landscapes of the subregion, showcasing the unique richness of its wild flowers along the way. Each chapter focuses on a specific region, highlighting the most beautiful, interesting and rare plants occurring there. The journey begins at the Zambezi river and then moves down the eastern part of southern Africa through the well-watered ‘land of plenty’. From here, the reader is taken through the splendours of the Cape fynbos and then northwards, to end in the parched ‘thirstlands’ of the west. Beautiful full-colour photographs by well-known botanical photographer Colin Paterson-Jones celebrate the flora of the region, while the authoritative text reveals insights into the plants themselves, their origins, interactions with other living organisms, and their often remarkable adaptation to sometimes hostile environments. Emphasis is given to the context in which the flowers grow; and the changing vegetation and landscapes are featured throughout, displaying the extraordinary diversity within southern Africa.