Plant form

Adrian D. Bell

This profusely illustrated book provides comprehensive coverage of the immense variation in the external structure of flowering plants. It defines the innumerable details of growing and mature plants, describing their leaves, flowers, roots and seeds in a manner that will enable professionals and amateurs alike to identify many difficult features. The book also explains much of the terminology that is used in advanced botanical texts and reference books, but rarely explained for novices. The unique and extensive collection of color photographs and stunning original line drawings add to the fascination of this useful work. By focusing on morphological features, which are often passed over in anatomically-oriented texts, this volume will be a valuable resource for all students and professionals in botany, horticulture, and forestry, as well as anyone interested in the amazing variety of plant forms. Annotation Published: May 2014. A very well written and designed book, essentially an illustrated glossary-with-extended-discussion of the external structure of flowering plants. Part 1 presents the purely descriptive terminology of those structures; part 2 is devoted to constructional organization, with chapters on meristem position, potential, activity and disruption, and a final chapter on branch construction concentrating on tree architecture. Much thought was devoted to the layout of the book, which is generally two facing pages per topic, the left with concise text and color photographs, the right with multiple line drawings, captions, and occasional text. Although each two-page spread holds together as a unit, there is extensive cross-annotation to both text and illustrations. Structural examples from the plant life of all continents are successfully utilized. The quality of the photographs, illustrations, and, indeed, the entire book, is superb. Those familiar with the subject can use it as an illustrated dictionary; for others it will function as a fascinating introduction to plant morphology. Any library will find grateful users, especially among biologists, horticulturists, and ecologists. G. D. Dreyer Connecticut College--Choice Reviews.