The Otway region of Victoria, with its temperate rainforests, mountain ash forests, heathlands, plains and coastal dunes, has an extraordinarily rich and diverse flora. The first volume of Flora of the Otway Plain and Ranges covers the orchids, irises, lilies, grass-trees, mat-rushes and other petaloid monocotyledonous plants.

Enid Mayfield's exquisite colour illustrations of more than 200 species reveal tiny botanical details which enable the untrained botanist to identify each species with ease. The section on orchids describes and illustrates more than 130 species, highlighting their fascinating adaptations for attracting specific pollinating insects.

The clear text and illustrations frequently draw attention to the relationship of plants to the broader environment, the impact of fire, the role of pollinators and the importance of fungi.