Published beginning in the early sixties by the New York Botanical Gardens, this text is still the standard by which other guides are judged. Not exactly a field guide, its nearly 700 pages in two volumes deals very thoroughly with the flowering plants of the Southeastern United States. It is at the core of most native plant society libraries. Lavish with its illustrations and complete in its descriptions, deals with all flowering plants in the area, not just the popular or showy ones. Excellent addition to any library.