Introduction Plant Taxonmy

Plant classification; Evolution and units of classification; Plant structures; Collecting and identifying techniques; Nomenclature; Phylogeny and biosystematics; Taxonomy in North America; Important families and their characters.

This book explains in simple terms how plants are classified and named.

A revised and fully updated edition encourages the reader to view existing classification systems objectively as it reflects upon the rapid advances that have occurred since the first edition's publication.

This book explains in simple terms how plants are classified and named.

Plant Systematics is a comprehensive and beautifully illustrated text, covering the most up-to-date and essential paradigms, concepts, and terms required for a basic understanding of plant systematics. This book contains numerous cladograms that illustrate the evolutionary relationships of major plant groups, with an emphasis on the adaptive significance of major evolutionary novelties. It provides descriptions and classifications of major groups of angiosperms, including over 90 flowering plant families; a comprehensive glossary of plant morphological terms, as well as appendices on botanical illustration and plant descriptions. Pedagogy includes review questions, exercises, and references that complement each chapter. This text is ideal for graduate and undergraduate students in botany, plant taxonomy, plant systematics, plant pathology, ecology as well as faculty and researchers in any of the plant sciences. * The Henry Allan Gleason Award of The New York Botanical Garden, awarded for "Outstanding recent publication in the field of plant taxonomy, plant ecology, or plant geography" (2006) * Contains numerous cladograms that illustrate the evolutionary relationships of major plant groups, with an emphasis on the adaptive significance of major evolutionary novelties *Provides descriptions and classifications of major groups of angiosperms, including over 90 flowering plant families * Includes a comprehensive glossary of plant morphological terms as well as appendices on botanical illustration and plant description

Taxonomy is one of the oldest biological disciplines. This book presents an account of general principles and aims of taxonomy in a comprehensive manner. It has been written mainly to cater the needs of undergraduate students pursuing courses in Botany/Life Sciences/Plant Sciences, but it will be useful for postgraduate students of these disciplines as well. The book gives a critical account of the important systems of classification and salient features of the APG II (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, 2003) system of plant taxonomy. It mentions the important rules of plant nomenclature, and various codes of nomenclature including the latest Vienna Code of 2006. Further, it discusses the usefulness of anatomy, embryology, palynology, chemistry, cytology and ecology under current trends in plant taxonomy. A thorough coverage of profusely illustrated 50 important dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous angiospermic families is the hallmark of this book. Each family is described covering the following points: Distribution, vegetative features, floral description, morphological nature of organs, further classification, affinities with other families, economic importance and description of common plant(s). Finally, the book covers the different aspects and theories related to the origin of angiosperms, and elucidates the methods and techniques of herbarium development and maintenance. KEY FEATURES: Presents a key to families described in the book. Provides a pro forma for the description of angiosperms. Includes a glossary of important technical terms. Lists the important Herbaria of India and the world.