This short, user-friendly guide provides all the information necessary to identify the flowering plant families found in the wild or cultivated in northern temperate regions. In total, 286 families are covered by the bracketed identification keys, which are accompanied by a comprehensive explanatory guide to their use. A fully illustrated discussion of floral structure and terminology precedes the keys and brief descriptions of the families (arranged according to the Engler and Prantl system) follow. A chapter giving advice on identification beyond the level of family, plus an annotated bibliography and glossary complete the volume. In this new expanded 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.