Plant Taxonomy: The Systematic Evaluation of Comparative Data

The field of plant taxonomy has transformed rapidly over the pastfifteen years, especially with regard to improvements in cladistic analysis and theuse of new molecular data. The second edition of this popular resource reflectsthese far-reaching and dramatic developments with more than 3,000 new references andmany new figures. Synthesizing current research and trends, PlantTaxonomy now provides the most up-to-date overview in relation tomonographic, biodiversity, and evolutionary studies, and continues to be anessential resource for students and scholars.This text isdivided into two parts: Part 1 explains the principles of taxonomy, including theimportance of systematics, characters, concepts of categories, and differentapproaches to biological classification. Part 2 outlines the different types of dataused in plant taxonomic studies with suggestions on their efficacy and modes ofpresentation and evaluation. This section also lists the equipment and financialresources required for gathering each type of data. References throughout the bookilluminate the historical development of taxonomic terminology and philosophy whilecitations offer further study. Plant Taxonomy is also apersonal story of what it means to be a practicing taxonomist and to view theseactivities within a meaningful conceptual framework. Tod F. Stuessy recalls theprogression of his own work and shares his belief that the most creative taxonomy isdone by those who have a strong conceptual grasp of their ownresearch.