A new edition of one of the most practical and authoritative botanical dictionaries available.

International Series of Monographs in Pure and Applied Biology, Volume 9: The Vegetation of Poland focuses on the plant geography of Poland, including climate, hydrography, geology, and ecology. The selection first offers information on the historical outline of the development of plant geography and the factors affecting the geographical distribution of plants in Poland. Discussions focus on the development of phytogeographical cartography, floristic and ecological plant geography, and the climate, boundaries, land-relief, hydrography, and geology of Poland. The text then ponders on the influence of man and his economic activities on the vegetation of Poland and the floristic statistics and the elements of the Polish flora. The publication examines the terrestrial and fresh-water plant communities and vegetation of the Polish Baltic. Topics include composition and structure of plant communities and methods of their study, associations of coastal and inland dunes, aquatic and swamp associations, and the most important representatives of the benthic flora of the Polish Baltic. The manuscript is a dependable source of data for botanists and those concerned with the plant resources of nature, including agriculturists, horticulturists, and soil scientists.

The field of plant taxonomy has transformed rapidly over the past fifteen years, especially with regard to improvements in cladistic analysis and the use of new molecular data. The second edition of this popular resource reflects these far-reaching and dramatic developments with more than 3,000 new references and many new figures. Synthesizing current research and trends, Plant Taxonomy now provides the most up-to-date overview in relation to monographic, biodiversity, and evolutionary studies, and continues to be an essential resource for students and scholars. This text is divided into two parts: Part 1 explains the principles of taxonomy, including the importance of systematics, characters, concepts of categories, and different approaches to biological classification. Part 2 outlines the different types of data used in plant taxonomic studies with suggestions on their efficacy and modes of presentation and evaluation. This section also lists the equipment and financial resources required for gathering each type of data. References throughout the book illuminate the historical development of taxonomic terminology and philosophy while citations offer further study. Plant Taxonomy is also a personal story of what it means to be a practicing taxonomist and to view these activities within a meaningful conceptual framework. Tod F. Stuessy recalls the progression of his own work and shares his belief that the most creative taxonomy is done by those who have a strong conceptual grasp of their own research.

Genera Orchidacearum is the first monograph of the world's orchid genera that reflects their long evolutionary history and reveals relationships based on genealogical descent and the most up-to-date DNA data.