Since 1956, when the late Boughton Cobb wrote his field guide to ferns, this book, unchanged in all the years since, has become the classic on the subject. Now the New England Wild Flower Society (NEWFS) has completely updated the text and added 100 color photographs. The incredibly beautiful full-page line drawings by the late Laura Louise Foster have been reproduced from the original art. New subjects include a section on habitats and conservation, a glossary of botanical terms, and a chapter on gardening with ferns.

The New England Wild Flower Society is the nation's oldest organization devoted to the conservation of wild plants. It recently received a number of grants to celebrate its "Year of the Fern." NEWFS books published by Houghton Mifflin are Wildflowers and Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines, both by William Cullina.