While Oberdorfer's work South German Plant Societies is only known to experts in plant sociology, his plant sociological excursion flora became famous among field botanists. It is the only standard flora in Central Europe that gives detailed ecological information on the species. "Der Oberdorfer" was first published in 1949. In 2001 Oberdorfer published the 8th edition of Flora together with Theo Müller and Angelika Schwabe . With this work, Oberdorfer has made a significant contribution to the shift in field botany from pure floristry to a site-ecological consideration of the vegetation.
