Incorporating phylogenetic principles and methods throughout, this text moves from the careful explanation of phylogenetic methods and principles to the taxonomic survey of vascular plant families. A much expanded CD-ROM is included, containing over 2,200 colour photos illustrating the diagnostic characters of plant families covered in the text. Appropriate for any course devoted to the systematics of plants, this text assumes no prerequisites other than introductory botany or biology.
Content:
THE SCIENCE OF PLANT SYSTEMATICS
·What Do We Mean by Plant?
·What Do We Mean by Systematics?
·A Phylogenetic Approach
·The Practice of Plant Systematics
·Why is Systematics Important?
·Aims and Organization of This Book
PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMATICS
·What is a Phylogeny?
·Determining Evolutionary History
·Constructing a Classification
·Summary
CLASSIFICATION AND SYSTEM IN FLOWERING PLANTS: THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
·Classification, Nature, and Stability
·Understanding Relationships
·Classifications and Memory
·Higher Taxa and Their Formation
·Plant Groupings
·Summary
TAXONOMIC EVIDENCE: STRUCTURAL AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERS
·Morphology
·Pollination Biology
·Inflorescences, Fruits, and Seeds
·Anatomy
·Embryology
·Chromosomes
·Palynology
·Secondary Plant Compounds
·Proteins
·Summary
MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS
·Plant Genomes
·Generating Molecular Data
·Types of Molecular Data
·Analysis of Molecular Data
·Molecular Characters
·Summary
THE EVOLUTION OF PLANT DIVERSITY
·Plant Diversity Is the Result of Evolution
·Variation in Plant Populations and Species
·Speciation
·Species Concepts
·Summary
AN OVERVIEW OF PLANT EVOLUTION
·Endosymbiotic Events
·Miscellaneous 'Algae'
·Green Plants
·Land Plants
·Vascular Plants
·Seed Plants
·Flowering Plants
PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS OF LYCOPHYTES, FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES, AND GYMNOSPERMS
·Lycophytes
·Ferns and Their Allies
·Gymnosperms
·Cycads
·Ginkgos
·Conifers
·Gnetophytes
PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS OF ANGIOSPERMS
·'Basal Families'
·Amborellales
·Nymphaeales
·Austrobaileyales
·Magnoliid Complex
·Magnoliales
·Laurales
·Canellales
·Piperales
·Monocots
·Alismatales
·Petaloid Monocots (Liliales, Asparagales, Dioscoreales)
·Commelinoid Monocots (Arecales, Commelinales, Poales, Zingiberales)
·Eudicots (Tricolpates)
·'Basal Tricolpates'
·Ranunculales, Proteales, and several small groups
·Core Eudicots
·Caryophyllid Clade (Caryophyllales, Polygonales)
·Santalales
·Rosid Clade
·Saxifragales
·Vitales
·Myrtales
·Eurosids I (Zygophyllales, Oxalidales, Celastrales, Malpighiales,
Fabales, Rosales, Cucurbitales, Fagales)
·Eurosids II (Brassicales, Malvales, Sapindales)
·Asterid clade (Sympetalae)
·Cornales
·Ericales
·Euasterids I (Solanales, Gentianales, Lamiales)
·Euasterids II (Aquifoliales, Apiales, Dipsacales, Asterales)
Appendix 1. Botanical Nomenclature
Appendix 2. Specimen Preparation and Identification
Glossary
Taxonomic Index
Subject Index
Content:
THE SCIENCE OF PLANT SYSTEMATICS
·What Do We Mean by Plant?
·What Do We Mean by Systematics?
·A Phylogenetic Approach
·The Practice of Plant Systematics
·Why is Systematics Important?
·Aims and Organization of This Book
PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMATICS
·What is a Phylogeny?
·Determining Evolutionary History
·Constructing a Classification
·Summary
CLASSIFICATION AND SYSTEM IN FLOWERING PLANTS: THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
·Classification, Nature, and Stability
·Understanding Relationships
·Classifications and Memory
·Higher Taxa and Their Formation
·Plant Groupings
·Summary
TAXONOMIC EVIDENCE: STRUCTURAL AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERS
·Morphology
·Pollination Biology
·Inflorescences, Fruits, and Seeds
·Anatomy
·Embryology
·Chromosomes
·Palynology
·Secondary Plant Compounds
·Proteins
·Summary
MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS
·Plant Genomes
·Generating Molecular Data
·Types of Molecular Data
·Analysis of Molecular Data
·Molecular Characters
·Summary
THE EVOLUTION OF PLANT DIVERSITY
·Plant Diversity Is the Result of Evolution
·Variation in Plant Populations and Species
·Speciation
·Species Concepts
·Summary
AN OVERVIEW OF PLANT EVOLUTION
·Endosymbiotic Events
·Miscellaneous 'Algae'
·Green Plants
·Land Plants
·Vascular Plants
·Seed Plants
·Flowering Plants
PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS OF LYCOPHYTES, FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES, AND GYMNOSPERMS
·Lycophytes
·Ferns and Their Allies
·Gymnosperms
·Cycads
·Ginkgos
·Conifers
·Gnetophytes
PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS OF ANGIOSPERMS
·'Basal Families'
·Amborellales
·Nymphaeales
·Austrobaileyales
·Magnoliid Complex
·Magnoliales
·Laurales
·Canellales
·Piperales
·Monocots
·Alismatales
·Petaloid Monocots (Liliales, Asparagales, Dioscoreales)
·Commelinoid Monocots (Arecales, Commelinales, Poales, Zingiberales)
·Eudicots (Tricolpates)
·'Basal Tricolpates'
·Ranunculales, Proteales, and several small groups
·Core Eudicots
·Caryophyllid Clade (Caryophyllales, Polygonales)
·Santalales
·Rosid Clade
·Saxifragales
·Vitales
·Myrtales
·Eurosids I (Zygophyllales, Oxalidales, Celastrales, Malpighiales,
Fabales, Rosales, Cucurbitales, Fagales)
·Eurosids II (Brassicales, Malvales, Sapindales)
·Asterid clade (Sympetalae)
·Cornales
·Ericales
·Euasterids I (Solanales, Gentianales, Lamiales)
·Euasterids II (Aquifoliales, Apiales, Dipsacales, Asterales)
Appendix 1. Botanical Nomenclature
Appendix 2. Specimen Preparation and Identification
Glossary
Taxonomic Index
Subject Index