Customer Reviews

Field Guide to Wild Flowers of South Africa

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Field Guide to Wild Flowers of South Africa by John Manning This is the perfect guide for identifying wild flowers, over 1,000 pictured in gorgeous photos. The guide is also perfect for botanists and for hikers and gardeners. The plants are divided into 10 categories, according to similar characteristics, which are explained in the first few pages of the book. Then each flower pictured is verbally described in detail and a chart shows the peak blooming months and a little map shows where in South Africa each is most prolific. The book is a very valuable guide for anyone who loves flowers, and many of the species of other continents can be identified with this book also, since many have been sent to other countries and domesticated to their new homes. EXCELLENT!

This book is quite detailed and you find an ID for a flower by going thru several steps - monocot or dicot, opposite or alternate leaves, various small flower structures. Like a Newcomb's for U.S. flowers. I took it on a birding tour and it didn't work at all for me, because I couldn't take the time to study the plants in the needed detail. I needed a simple book sorted by color and then very basic flower structure. e.g. composite. This would likely be good for a botanical tour, or if you were on your own and could take the needed time.

I was so happy the day I got this book home. I read and marveled at the very good pictures, descriptions and generally interesting information in a very clear type and layout