This was an excellent text in its time, and it was worthy of a five star rating when published. However, this out of print book is also somewhat out of date. That's not to say it has no value, but there are newer books available which are far superior in content and coverage, not to mention being more up to date in their vernacular. (The Latin names and names of Families are often changes as more knowledge is gained to better classify plants.) One book which should be in print for some time and is far superior in many many ways is "Cornucopia II: A source Book of Edible Plants." Be sure to get the newest edition, which is truly a five STAR text. A final note. These books are not pictoral. If you want to ID a plant in your backyard, then you need a different type of book.