Wanderers in the Southern Appalachians are greeted by an astonishing variety of wildflowers, but distinguishing one flower from another can sometimes be a problem. An appreciation of a blossom's beauty may give way to frustration as one tries to match it with a typical field guide's limited number of pictures or decipher a technical identification key.Now naturalist Richard M. Smith has prepared a complete, non-technical field guide -- featuring 600 color photos -- to nearly all of the flowers in the southern mountains that stretch from the Pennsylvania border into northern Georgia. Focusing on more than 1,200 species found in the Blue Ridge physiographic province, he provides pictorial keys based on flower shape and color that enable readers to make quick and reliable identifications on the spot.Once a flower is tentatively identified, the reader is referred to text that describes each plant in greater detail -- often calling attention to those features that distinguish one species from a similar one -- and to clear, detailed photographs of typical specimens. Interspersed throughout the text are historical notes about many plants, including their uses as food or medicine. Technical jargon is kept to a minimum, and scientific terms essential to the book's accuracy are defined in a glossary.No other volume offers such complete coverage of virtually every herbaceous wildflower found in the Southern Appalachians or makes their identification so easy. While ideally suited to travelers in the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, it is useful for much of the eastern United States. With its combination of comprehensiveness, illustrations, portability, and easy access to information,Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains is an essential guide for wildflower enthusiasts and lovers of the outdoors.