The salient features of aquatic vascular plants; The salient features of the aquatic environment; A link with land plants: the structure and physiology of emergent foliage; Life in two environments: the structure and physiology of floating leaves; Life in the water: the structure and physiology of submerged organs; Life in the substrate: the structure and physiology of underground organs; The freefloating habit; Vegetative polymorphism and the problem of heterophylly; Sexual reproduction and natural affinities; Vegetative reproduction and perennation; Some aspects of the geography of aquatic vescular plants; The growth of hydrophyte communities and their interaction with the aquatic environment; The problem of aquatic weeds; The control of aquatic weeds; The aesthetic and economic value of aquatic vascular plants.

This book critically reviews advances in our understanding of the biology of vascular epiphytes since Andreas Schimper’s 1888 seminal work. It addresses all aspects of their biology, from anatomy and physiology to ecology and evolution, in the context of general biological principles. By comparing epiphytes with non-epiphytes throughout, it offers a valuable resource for researchers in plant sciences and related disciplines. A particular strength is the identification of research areas that have not received the attention they deserve, with conservation being a case in point. Scientists have tended to study pristine systems, but global developments call for information on epiphytes in human-disturbed systems and the response of epiphytes to global climate change.