Flowering Plant Families of the World

Flowering Plant Families of the World (ISBN 9781842461655) is a comprehensive and beautifully produced botanical reference published by Kew Publishing in 2007, offering an authoritative, global overview of the world’s flowering plant families. Edited and written by leading plant scientists including Vernon H. Heywood, R.K. Brummitt, Alastair Culham, and Ole Seberg, this hardcover volume serves as both an essential reference for professional botanists and an inspiring introduction for students, gardeners, naturalists, and anyone fascinated by plant diversity.

Spanning over 400 richly illustrated pages, Flowering Plant Families of the World covers more than 500 recognised families of angiosperms — the flowering plants that dominate Earth’s vegetation and include everything from giant cacti and rainforest giants to tiny alpine herbs. Each family entry provides a clear summary of diagnostic features, distribution patterns, classification, structures, ecology, and noteworthy uses (such as food, medicine, timber, spices, dyes, and fibres), making the book exceptionally useful both in the field and in academic contexts. Full‑colour plates and precisely scaled botanical illustrations accompany the text, showing key morphological traits that help readers recognise and compare families at a glance.

Detailed maps show the global distribution of plant families, while an extensive glossary clarifies technical terms and an index includes plant names in Latin and English, enhancing usability for reference and study. The book’s presentation balances scientific rigour with accessibility, making it ideal for courses in botany, horticulture, ecology, and biodiversity as well as for enthusiasts building a deeper understanding of plant evolution and classification.

Whether on a reference shelf in a university library or on the desk of an avid gardener, Flowering Plant Families of the World remains a definitive and visually engaging guide to the Earth’s flowering plant diversity — indispensable for anyone seeking a broad yet authoritative survey of angiosperm families.

Condition: Fine/Like New – No notable defects.