The Flowering Plants

Armen Takhtajan is among the greatest authorities in the world on the evolution of plants. This book culminates almost sixty years of the scientist's research of the origin and classification of the flowering plants. It presents a continuation of Dr. Takhtajan’s earlier publications including “Systema Magnoliophytorum” (1987), (in Russian), and “Diversity and Classification of Flowering Plants” (1997), (in English). In his latest book, the author presents a concise and significantly revised system of plant classification (‘Takhtajan system’) based on the most recent studies in plant morphology, embryology, phytochemistry, cytology, molecular biology and palynology. Flowering plants are divided into two classes: class Magnoliopsida (or Dicotyledons) includes 8 subclasses, 126 orders, c. 440 families, almost 10,500 genera, and no less than 195,000 species; and class Liliopsida (or Monocotyledons) includes 4 subclasses, 31 orders, 120 families, more than 3,000 genera, and about 65,000 species.This book contains a detailed description of plant orders, and descriptive keys to plant families providing characteristic features of the families and their differences.

The Galápagos are home to a wide-ranging assortment of unusual plants and animals. The islands became famous as the site of Charles Darwin's research leading to his theory of evolution by natural selection, and their magnificent flora and fauna continue to draw visitors from around the world. Based on the author's 16 years of fieldwork and featuring his exceptional photography, Flowering Plants of the Galápagos is the first accessible, in-depth yet compact guide to the plant life of the area. An invaluable resource for tourists, natural history enthusiasts, and professionals, the book: • Introduces the botanical history of the islands and their varied ecological zones • Allows easy identification of 436 flowering plants (77 families, 192 genera, and 390 species) • Covers endemic plants found exclusively on the islands; native plants, which grow on the Galápagos and elsewhere; and exotic plants present as a result of human actions • Offers thorough accounts of the plants which give the scientific, common, and family names; range; islands inhabited; habitat; description; and additional notes of interest • Is richly illustrated with 266 color photographs of flowering plants and 117 of plant pollinators, vegetation zones, non-flowering plants, and the islands themselves • Organizes species by form, leaf arrangement, and flower color and includes descriptive plant drawings to aid in identification • Provides a map of the Galápagos and a list of plants likely to be seen at popular tourist sites

This volume - the first of this series dealing with angiosperms - comprises the treatments of 73 families, representing three major blocks of the dicotyledons: magnoliids, centrosperms, and hamamelids. These blocks are generally recognized as subclasses in modern textbooks and works of reference. We consider them a convenient means for structuring the hundreds of di cotyledon families, but are far from taking them at face value for biological, let alone mono phyletic entities. Angiosperm taxa above the rank of family are little consolidated, as is easily seen when comparing various modern classifications. Genera and families, in contrast, are comparatively stable units -and they are important in practical terms. The genus is the taxon most frequently recognized as a distinct entity even by the layman, and generic names provide the key to all in formation available about plants. The family is, as a rule, homogeneous enough to conve niently summarize biological information, yet comprehensive enough to avoid excessive re dundance. The emphasis in this series is, therefore, primarily on families and genera.

To study a plant in detail is to make a fascinating journey of discovery. Even plants we think we know well will often surprise us as we look at the intricacy of their structure and how they are put together. This fascinating guide explains what flowering plants are and their relationship to other groups of plants. With drawings, paintings and photographs throughout, it advises on how to carry out a botanical study and will prove essential reading for botanical artists, photographers and all those wishing to gain a greater understanding of flowering plants. Contents include: practical advice on techniques, tools and other equipment used in botanical work; the structure and function of the main parts of the flowering plant, highlighting features that are important in illustration for botanical purposes; suggestions for projects, which can be used to assess your understanding or stimulate the start of a new project. Superbly illustrated with 366 colour images.

Angiosperms, or flowering plants, are one of the most diverse plant groups on the planet, and they offer tremendous resources for a broad range of industries. Flowering Plants examines the anatomy and morphology of angiosperms with a focus on relating their metabolic activities to products for the pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and textile industries. This up-to-date reference provides a thorough understanding of plant structure and chemical and molecular processes found in angiosperms. It covers many important topics on applied botany, and therefore, can also be used as a textbook for students of related fields. It details the latest research in the field, along with areas in need of further study, for students, researchers, and professionals working in industry. The book takes advantage of technological innovations to showcase a range of advanced techniques for studying plant structure and metabolites, such as cryo-electron microscopy, ultramicroscopy, x-ray crystallography, spectroscopy, and chromatography. Filled with helpful illustrations, diagrams, and flowcharts to aid comprehension, Flowering Plants offers readers the morphological, anatomic, and molecular knowledge about angiosperms they need for a range of industrial applications.

This volume is the outcome of a modern phylogenetic analysis of the grass family based on multiple sources of data, in particular molecular systematic studies resulting from a concerted effort by researchers worldwide, including the author. In the classification given here grasses are subdivided into 12 subfamilies with 29 tribes and over 700 genera. The keys and descriptions for the taxa above the rank of genus are hierarchical, i.e. they concentrate upon characters which are deemed to be synapomorphic for the lineages and may be applicable only to their early-diverging taxa. Beyond the treatment of phylogeny and formal taxonomy, the author presents a wide range of information on topics such as the structural characters of grasses, their related functional aspects and particularly corresponding findings from the field of developmental genetics with inclusion of genes and gene products instrumental in the shaping of morphological traits (in which this volume appears unique within this book series); further topics addressed include the contentious time of origin of the family, the emigration of the originally shade-loving grasses out of the forest to form vast grasslands accompanied by the switch of many members to C4 photosynthesis, the impact of herbivores on the silica cycle housed in the grass phytoliths, the reproductive biology of grasses, the domestication of major cereal crops and the affinities of grasses within the newly circumscribed order Poales. This volume provides a comprehensive overview of existing knowledge on the Poaceae (Gramineae), with major implications in terms of key scientific challenges awaiting future research. It certainly will be of interest both for the grass specialist and also the generalist seeking state-of-the-art information on the diversity of grasses, the most ecologically and economically important of the families of flowering plants.

One of the world's leading evolutionary biologists here reexamines the evolutionary history of flowering plants. This important book interprets the phylogeny of flowering plants in the light of modern knowledge about genetics, developmental biology, and ecology.

This plant book aims to help identify flowering plants to genus and family level anywhere in the world. In 2014 there were very few available works which were both comprehensive and up-to-date for all the flowering plants families and genera of the world. The Flowering Plants Handbook is an easy to use identification guide to the worlds flowering plants designed for both specialists and non-specialists and from beginner to expert. The book contains descriptions of all currently recognised flowering plant families, morphological notes for 6656 genera (all current genera for 398/413 families) and over 3000 images and illustrations. Flowering plants can be identified using the book to family and much of the world's generic diversity in four 'easy' steps. Some plants will be identified correctly quickly, whilst others may require some retracing of steps and take a little more time. The advantage of this book is that it helps the user learn about the classification system and plant diversity during the identification process. This work was compiled and developed using the living, library and herbarium collections at the University of Aberdeen, Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.