(see also under field and identification guides, below.)
Floras are comprehensive books used to identify plants of a particular region. They usually provide keys and descriptions for all families, genera and species, together with glossaries, and sometimes line drawings or photographs.
Bentham, G. and F. von Mueller Flora Australiensis. 7 vols. Asher/Reeve, 1967 reprint. [Definitive 19th Cent. work on the Australian flora; still surprisingly useful for keys, descriptions and plant names, especially in plant groups with no recent revisions or which have not yet been published in Flora of Australia.]
Interactive (computer-based): The families of angiosperms. L. Watson & M.J. Dallwitz. [Identification to family level]. See under Interactive Identification Aids, at end of this compilation.
Beadle, N.C.W. Students Flora of North Eastern New South Wales, Parts (vols) I-VI. UNE, Armidale, 1972 - 1987. [Dated but still very useful regional flora, similar in style and approach to Flora of the Sydney Region. Part I (2nd edn) Pteridophytes; Part II Gymnosperms, and first 46 families of (dicot) Angiosperms; Part III-V dicot angiosperms; Part VI monocot angiosperms.]
Burbidge, N.T. & M. Gray Flora of the A.C.T. ANU Press, 1979. [Dated and out of print, but still useful. Small line drawings of one species from each genus.]
Costin, A.B. et al. Kosciusko alpine flora. CSIRO/Wm Collins, 1979. [Dated but useful. Botanical descriptions and colour photos of every species found above the tree line.]
Fairley, A. & P. Moore Native plants of the Sydney district. - see below under field guides.
Harden, G.J. (ed.) Flora of New South Wales (4 vols ) UNSW Press, 1990-3. [Vol. 1: Ferns & allies, Gymnosperms, and dicots up to Amygdalaceae. Vol. 2: Proteaceae to Fabaceae; contains many of the major dicot families, including Rutaceae, Mimosaceae, Myrtaceae; Vol. 3 (remainder of dicots). Volume 4 (monocots) . Fully comprehensive for native and introduced species, but with four large volumes a reference rather than field book. Line illustrations show distinguishing characters for each species.
Foreman, D.B. & N.G. Walsh Flora of Victoria Vol. 1 Introduction. Inkata Press, 1993. (320 pp.) [First of a projected four-volume series covering all vascular plants of Victoria. This volume contains introductory essays only, on topics like prehistory, geology and geomorphology, climate, botanical exploration history, floristic regions, soils, Aboriginal uses of plants, effects of fire, rare plants, and the exotic (naturalised) flora.]
Willis, J.H. (A Handbook to) Plants in Victoria. Vol 1 (Ferns, conifers, monocots) 2nd edn 1978; Vol 2 (Dicots) 1978. Melbourne Uni Press. [Keys and botanical descriptions, no illustrations.]
Curtis, W. A students flora of Tasmania, Parts (vols) 1-3. Tasm. Gov't Printer, 1956, 1963, 1967. [Dicot species only. Keys and botanical descriptions, very few illustrations.]
Jessup, J. & H. Toelken (eds). Flora of South Australia, 4th edn. (4 vols). S.A. Govt Printer, 1986. [Keys and botanical descriptions, line illustrations for a proportion of species.]
Marchant, N.G. et al. Flora of the Perth Region, Parts (vols) 1 & 2. W.A. Herb., Dept. Agric., Perth, 1987. [Keys and botanical descriptions, few illustrations.]
Blackall, W.E. & B.J. Grieve How to know Western Australian wildflowers, Parts I (2nd edn 1988), II (reprinted 1981, not yet revised), IIIA and IIIB (2nd edn 1981), IV (2nd edn 1982). Uni of WA Press, 1980, 1985. [Illustrated keys to genera and species for extra-tropical W.A. Very dated, lacking many new species and name changes, but still best for many families and regions of WA. Ridiculously complicated structure and index.]
Wheeler, J.R. et al. (eds) Flora of the Kimberley region. WA Dept of Conservation & Land Management, 1992. (1327 pp.). [Standard flora format, keys to familes, genera and species, with descriptions at each level; good quality line drawings.]
Jessup, J. (ed.) Flora of Central Australia Reed, 1981. [Comprehensive keys and botanical descriptions, few line illustrations.]
