Patterns in Plant Development

Patterns in Plant Development offers an introduction to the development of the whole plant. It is essentially a factual book that describes the complex phenomena of development in vascular plants. The point of view is structural, and emphasis is placed on the experimental approach to development. The book deals with lower vascular plants (e.g. ferns) as well as seed plants, so that the treatment of the plant, beginning with the embryo and continuing through the phase of secondary growth (the vascular cambium) is presented. This volume is an extensively revised and completely updated version of a book that was first published in 1972. Much new material has been introduced; rapid advances in molecular biology in recent years have made a significant contribution to the understanding of development, and these exciting findings have been drawn into the interpretations provided in this new edition. At the same time, it is recognized that plant morphologists have made major strides in understanding the organization of the whole plant, and thus the developmental significance of architectural analysis is also stressed. The book is written so that anyone who has completed a basic first-year university course in biology or botany will be able to use it without difficulty. Sufficient background information is provided so that the reader is not required to have an extensive technical background.