Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland. 2008. Over 1300 col. photogr. VIII, 482 p. gr8vo. Paper bd.

During the past few centuries, orchids have excited and mystified collectors, botanists and laymen alike with their inherent complexities and diversity.Although many a book has been written on orchids occurring in every part of the globe, only a few exist on the species indigenous to South Africa. This is certainly not due to lack of diversity in the he area, as South Africa has 466 species in 52 genera occurring from the Cape peninsula northwards to the Limpopo River. This field guide attempts to aid in the identification of the orchids of the four northern provinces and Swaziland, some 210 species in 35 genera, in a format accessible to professionals and amateur enthusiasts alike. Two pages are allocated per species and each includes a distribution map based on altitude and a colour-coded bar indicating flowering time. Identification characteristics and in most cases critical measurements are given to guide recognition as well as a table with pertinent characteristics of similar species to help avoid confusion.