Drawing from a lifetime of teaching botany, Dr. Nels Lersten presents the study of the structures and processes involved in the reproduction of plants in his text Flowering Plant Embryology. This richly illustrated reference text, with more than 350 figures and illustrations, presents general angiosperm embryology as it applies to economically important plants. The unique focus on economically important species increases the relevance of this book to today’s students and researchers in the plant sciences. Lersten emphasizes the plant species that affect human livelihood, including weeds and other cultivated plants that are used for commercial products. Selected from the thousands of economically important plants, the examples chosen for illustration and discussion are familiar, especially to students from North America, Northern Europe, and Japan. Although the emphasis of this book is economically important plants, the information within applies to almost all flowering plants. Extremely readable and well-written, this book is neither dense nor academic in tone. Lersten treats topics with a uniformity of style and organization that enhances comprehension. Terms are well-defined and the derivation of each is explained to further facilitate student learning. The book presents research results, hypotheses, and speculations about why things are as they are, with supporting facts and specific examples that provide a firm foundation for students’ understanding of embryological diversity among economic plants.

Provides an invaluable reference and source book on plant embryogenesis for cell and molecular biologists, and plant biotechnologists.

In the 2007 third edition of her successful textbook, Paula Rudall provides a comprehensive yet succinct introduction to the anatomy of flowering plants. Thoroughly revised and updated throughout, the book covers all aspects of comparative plant structure and development, arranged in a series of chapters on the stem, root, leaf, flower, seed and fruit. Internal structures are described using magnification aids from the simple hand-lens to the electron microscope. Numerous references to recent topical literature are included, and new illustrations reflect a wide range of flowering plant species. The phylogenetic context of plant names has also been updated as a result of improved understanding of the relationships among flowering plants. This clearly written text is ideal for students studying a wide range of courses in botany and plant science, and is also an excellent resource for professional and amateur horticulturists.

This volume covers up-to-date notions of seed structure, processes resulting to its formation (syngamy, triple fusion etc.), as well as of postseminal development (seed dormancy and germination). Great attention has been paid to the morphological and functional aspects of fertilization process and embryo- and endospermogenesis.

Armen Takhtajan is among the greatest authorities in the world on the evolution of plants. This book culminates almost sixty years of the scientist's research of the origin and classification of the flowering plants. It presents a continuation of Dr. Takhtajan’s earlier publications including “Systema Magnoliophytorum” (1987), (in Russian), and “Diversity and Classification of Flowering Plants” (1997), (in English). In his latest book, the author presents a concise and significantly revised system of plant classification (‘Takhtajan system’) based on the most recent studies in plant morphology, embryology, phytochemistry, cytology, molecular biology and palynology. Flowering plants are divided into two classes: class Magnoliopsida (or Dicotyledons) includes 8 subclasses, 126 orders, c. 440 families, almost 10,500 genera, and no less than 195,000 species; and class Liliopsida (or Monocotyledons) includes 4 subclasses, 31 orders, 120 families, more than 3,000 genera, and about 65,000 species.This book contains a detailed description of plant orders, and descriptive keys to plant families providing characteristic features of the families and their differences.

COMPARATIVE EMBRYOLOGY OF ANGIOSPERMS is a review of the developmental processes leading to sexual reproduction in flowering plants. On the basis of embryological data and certain evidences from other areas of study, it lays special emphasis on the relationship among and within the families and orders of angiosperms. Occasionally, inaccuracies in observation and interpretation are pointed out, alternative interpretations offered, gaps in our knowledge highlighted, and prospects outlined. The text is documented with 36 tables, 376 figures, and about 5000 literature citations, which contribute to making this book comprehensive. Besides students and research workers interested in angiosperm embyology, taxonomists, plant breeders, agriculturists, and horticulturists will also find much useful information in this treatise.

The book, by virtue of its authoritative coverage, should be most suitable to undergraduate as well as postgraduate students of all universities and also to those appearing for various competitive examinations such as CPMT, DME, DCS and IAS.

The revolutionary progress made in this fascinating field of sexual reproduction inspired this generously illustrated volume. It includes 21 chapters written by experts, covering all aspects of the embryology of angiosperms, ranging from development, isolation, and structure of gametes to endosperm and seed development.

International Review of Cytology