Wildflowers of Southwest Australia. 2013. Many water colours. 228 p. 4to. Paper bd.

Over several decades Jane Scott has developed a deep love and understanding of the wildflowers growing in the biodiversity hotspot that is Southwest Australia. At the same time Patricia Negus honed to her watercolours. During a three-year collaboration between these two talents, Jane collected and described 502 of the most common wildflowers of Southwest Australia, and Patricia captured details of 499 of them in watercolour. The result was the 2002 publication, Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Australias South West. Since its publication the new science of Molecular Genetics has given us a much better insight into the evolutionary pathways of our native plants. As a result, botanists have reclassified several of our native flowers to better show their evolutionary relationships. Scientists have also more accurately mapped our many bioregions. Wildflowers of Southwest Australia retains Patricia's watercolours, but Jane has rewritten, updated, and extended the text. Together with new and updated illustrations, this remarkable book is both a work of art and a detailed botanical reference. A few of the plants in this book are specific to the Margaret River-Augusta area, but most have a wide range throughout the Southwest of Western Australia, making this book a valuable addition to the reference library of anyone wanting to learn more about Southwestern Australias fascinating flora This book contains: 98 full-page colour plates of Patricias watercolours; 502 flowering plant species described and 499 of them illustrated; Information on the derivation of plant names; Information on habitats, and where to find wildflowers in the area; A species checklist to record your own sightings. Many of the less spectacular species, not usually included in general wildflower books; Several species unique to the far south-west corner of the state; Details of the evolutionary origins of the flowers; The weed species that often encroach into our bushland.