Common Families of Flowering Plants

An introduction to the general characteristics of a selection of important plant families.

Michael Hickey (Author), Clive King (Author), S. M. Walters (Foreword by)

9780521576093, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 28 January 1997

226 pages, 69 b/w illus. 4 tables
29.5 x 20.8 x 1.4 cm, 0.65 kg

'I am sure it will find its way onto the bookshelves of many botany students in the years to come.' M. Watson, Edinburgh Journal of Botany

Provides a basic introduction to twenty five commonly occurring families of flowering plants, chosen for their economic, ornamental and ecological importance. It is designed to enable students of botany and related disciplines to gain some knowledge of the general characteristics of each family and also the relationships between them. An introductory section provides basic botanical information which is often assumed to be known and which is essential for a proper consideration of the families themselves. These are described in the second section of the book. For each family, information on its distribution, classification, general features and economic importance precedes a detailed description of a typical representative species. For the larger or more varied families several representative species are included. The text is illustrated throughout with clear and accurate line diagrams and accompanied by an exhaustive glossary.

Foreword by S. M. Walters
Systematic grouping of plants
Authorities
Signs and abbreviations
Floral formula
General botany
Part I. Plant Families: 1. Ranunculaceae
2. Caryophyllaceae
3. Malvaceae
4. Salicaceae
5. Cruciferae
6. Ericaceae
7. Primulaceae
8. Rosaceae
9. Leguminaceae
10. Euphorbiaceae
11. Geraniaceae
12. Umbelliferae
13. Solanaceae
14. Boraginaceae
15. Labiatae
16. Scrophulariaceae
17. Campanulaceae
18. Caprifoliaceae
19. Compositae
20. Gramineae
21. Araceae
22. Liliaceae
23. Amaryllidaceae
24. Iridaceae
25. Orchidaceae
Comparative tables
References
Glossary
Index to families and genera.

Subject Areas: Botany & plant sciences [PST]