Introduction to the Principles of Plant Taxonomy

V. V. Sivarajan (Author), N. K. P. Robson (Edited by)

9780521356794, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 30 August 1991

308 pages
23.1 x 15.4 x 2.6 cm, 0.512 kg

'Few books so short are so full without being crammed, or can manage to include so wide a spectrum of relevant delights …' New Phytologist

Although one of the earliest of biological disciplines, plant taxonomy remains an important and relevant aspect of modern botany. A disproportionate emphasis on the practice of plant taxonomy has to some extent caused the science to be seen solely as the activity of plant identification. This book attempts to redress the balance by providing an introduction to the taxonomic theory upon which the identification procedure is based. The second edition has been completely revised and updated by the author and edited by Norman Robson to reflect the rapid advances which have occurred in plant taxonomy since publication of the first edition.

Preface to the second edition
Editor's note to the second edition
Foreword to the first edition
Preface to the first edition
1. Introduction
2. The evolution of theories of biological classification
conceptual development of pre-Darwinian taxonomy
3. Problems in evolutionary taxonomy
4. The historical development of classificatory systems
5. Taxonomic structure
6. Concepts of taxa
7. The material basis of systematics
8. Sources of taxonomic characters
9. Plant nomenclature
10. Epilogue
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Botany & plant sciences [PST], Taxonomy & systematics [PSAB]