Text by Frank Brightman, illustrations by B. E. Nicholson, the foremost botanical artist of the day. The book consists of a set of plates each depicting a patch of habitat with a selection of related species. The plates are arranged by habitat class: seashore, grasslands, uplands, wet places and woodlands, with each class broken down into more individual habitats such as types of woodland or whereabouts on the seashore.

The plates beautifully capture the gizz of the organisms. A page of descriptive text faces each plate.

This is probably the best (certainly the most beautiful) in the "Oxford Book" series.