Williamson reveals the secrets of this beautiful area located in the north west corner of South Africa, with the Orange River as its northern boundary. Original thoughts and observations fill the chapters on the plants, where the author brings habitats, pollination, flowers and evolution to life. The section on the plants is complemented by over 600 colour pictures. A checklist of more than 1 700 plants is also included. Further chapters cover the fossil sites, the weather and the geology, with its ancient rocks and jagged mountains dating back more than 2 000 million years. The Richtersveld is also home to the last remaining traditional nomadic herders in South Africa who are sympathetically described and photographed. The epilogue discusses the environmental status of the Richtersveld from prehistoric times to the present, and puts the onslaught by man into this fragile ecosystem, into perspective.