Green plants: their origin and diversity Peter R. Bell

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Green Plants is a totally revised edition of the earlier Diversity of Green Plants by P. R. Bell and C. L. F. Woodcock. This new revision documents the latest information about the most exciting advances in the relevant fields of botanical science. The theme of the book is the remarkable diversity of form which has followed from the phenomenon of photosynthesis and the fixation of atmospheric carbon. The author's detailed treatment spans the full scope of the plant kingdom, extending from the simplest unicellular organisms to the complexity represented by the flowering plants. Information on the essential features of plants known only from the fossil record is also included. This complete and compact survey of all green plants will provide a tremendous resource for all students of botany.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Preface
• 1 General features of the plant kingdom
• 2 The subkingdom algae - part 1
• 3 The subkingdom algae - part 2
• 4 The subkingdom algae - part 3
• 5 The subkingdom embrophyta - bryophyta
• 6 The subkingdom embrophyta - Tracheophyta, part 1
• 7 The subkingdom embrophyta - Tracheophyta, part 2
• 8 The subkingdom embrophyta - Tracheophyta, part 3
• 9 The subkingdom embrophyta - Tracheophyta, part 4
• Glossary
• Suggestions for further reading
• Index

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Bell (University College, London) and Hemsley (Univ. of Wales, Cardiff) provide a relatively compact treatment of plant diversity. The first chapter is an overview of the general features of plants, primarily from a structural perspective. The next three chapters are devoted to the algae, and the remaining five discuss land plants. The figures include black-and-white photographs and simple (but informative) line drawings of structural features of plant groups. Life cycles of plants are not emphasized, but perspectives from paleobotany and recent work on plant cladistics are considered. The writing is a bit dry but straightforward, and there is a glossary. This book can be used as a resource for botany students or in any other situation where students need to learn about plant diversity. Undergraduates. J. Z. Kiss Miami University