Vegetative and reproductive morphology and their variation within Aneilema, one of the largest genera of Commelinaceae, are described in detail. The taxonomic usefulness of the various characters is considered, and floral attributes are found to be particularly important. Within the genus, great diversity is found in habit, pedicel curvature, petal color, stamen curvature, floral hair types and distribution, and seed shape and testa patterns. Anatomy, cytology, phytochemistry, and reproductive biology of Aneilema are treated briefly. Aneilema is divided into seven sections, with sections Rendlei, Somaliensia, Brevibarbata, and Pedunculosa described as new. Keys to the sections and to all 62 species recognized are provided. The 22 species comprising sections Rendlei, Somaliensia, and Lamprodithyros are treated in detail, with nine new species and five new subspecies described. One naturally occurring hybrid is also newly recognized. Two species originally described in Aneilema but of uncertain generic position, A. calandrinoides and A. brasiliense, are discussed in detail. A list of all specific names that have ever been included in Aneilema and their current status (including new combinations and new synonymy, when appropriate) is appended.

Monocots: Systematics and Evolution presents leading work from around the world on non-grass monocotyledons and includes reviews and current research into their comparative biology, phylogeny and classification. The papers are based on presentations at the Second International Conference on the Comparative Biology of the Monocotyledons, Monocots II, held in Sydney, Australia in late 1998. Many were subsequently updated or extended to take into account new information. All 72 papers have been peer-reviewed.

When Rolf Dahlgren and I embarked on preparing this book series, Rolf took prime responsibility for monocotyledons, which had interested him for a long time. After finishing his comparative study and family classification of the monocots, he devoted much energy to the acquisition and editing of family treatments for the present series. After his untimely death, Peter Goldblatt, who had worked with him, continued to handle further incoming monocot manuscripts until, in the early 1990s, his other obligations no longer allowed him to continue. At that time, some 30 manuscripts in various states of perfection had accumulated, which seemed to form a solid basis for a speedy completion of the FGVP monocots; with the exception of the grasses and orchids which would appear in separate volumes. I felt a strong obligation to do everything to help in publishing the manuscripts that had been put into our hands. I finally decided to take charge of them personally, although during my life as a botainst I had never seriously been interested in monocots.

Proceedings of the XIVth AETFAT Congress, 22-27 August 1994, Wageningen, the Netherlands