Customer Reviews

Plant Form: An Illustrated Guide to Flowering Plant Morphology

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Plant Form has been out of print for a long time, so I was excited to see it released as a new edition (2008). I have been wanting to get a copy of this book for a while, and was thoroughly impressed when I finally got my hands on the new edition.

Why have I been wanting to get a copy of this book for so long?

First; this book is unique in its approach describing flowering plant morphology (i.e., comparative anatomy) according to the "big picture." This book does not include the typical cellular structures and details typical of so many college textbooks on morphology. Instead, one is immersed in the vegetative characters one finds when actually walking up to a plant. This book focuses from the perspective of a hand lens all the way up to tree architecture. Plant Form is as required for to those interested in plant systematics as for those in plant ecology.

Second; the plants used for examples in this book are exceptional. This book is not a dry catergorization of plant parts; stems, leaves, ... No, this book includes examples of curiosities and odd-balls from all across the botanical world, which really serves to elucidate the subtleties of plant morphology. Many of these fascinating topics I have found only in specialized courses on tropical plant morphology, all of which lacked textbooks.

Third; Plant Form, while potentially useful for a specialized course in botany, is interesting to everyone. Literally, everyone. No formal or technical knowledge is necessary; no small feat as the science of botany is famous for its vast lexicon based on Latin and Greek. What really makes this book so interesting is its great drawings and photographs which immediately draws one into the diverse world of plants. Plant Form is one of the best coffee-table books around.

Case in point, it doesn't matter whether you are a professional botanist, amateur naturalist, avid gardener, or an artist who likes painting plants. You will love this book.

But if you are a professional or budding botanist, you need to get a copy.

As for problems with Plant Form, the only problem I have noticed is the omission of family names for the species mentioned in the text (family names are in the index). But this is really a trifling problem, barely worth mentioning. Great Book.

"This book is intended [to provide an] attractive and workable compendium of flowering plant morphology ..." [quote from cover]. It certainly does this; in 341 pages richly illustrated with captivating color photographs and exquisite line drawings. An academic yet attractive overview of the immense variety of form that has evolved in Angiosperms.

First published in 1991, reprinted in 1993 (with corrections), reprinted 1998. This last edition, compared to the 1991 original, is printed on slightly yellower paper and is a little more 'black' in print, taking away something from the beauty of the photographs and the crispness of the printed text.

A well produced, comprehensive book, thoroughly indexed, beautifully illustrated both by excellent coloured photos and perhaps even more valuably by superbly clear line drawings, throughout, and all at an amazing price for the value it contains. The aspiring expert will read this avidly from cover to cover in time and the amateur gardener will simply dip into it via the index for the explanation and meaning of specialised botanical terms. A book not to be missed and likely to sell out before the demand has been met. Postage for non-US recipients is a bit steep but the service is fast, careful and efficient. So full marks from us 'down under' in New Zealand. Thank you Amazon.com

Dear Auther, I'm a Botanist in Egypt and I wanna buy your last edition of this book published by Oxford University Press but ther's nothing about its price or way to buy. magdy_gado@yahoo.com