Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology

360 Pages·1991·23.14 MB·English

by  Adrian D. Bell

An Illustrate)
^ Flowering Plant Morphology
ADRIAN D. BELL
With line drawings by
ALAN BRYAN
s><
Plant Form An Illustrated Guide to
Flowering Plant Morphology
Norantea guyanensis
A pitcher shaped leaf (bract 62) is associated with each
flower; see Figs 88a, b for early development.
Plant Form An Illustrated Guide to
Flowering Plant Morphology
Adrian D. Bell
School of Biological Sciences
University College of North Wales
With line drawings by *m&m?m#m
Alan Bryan
S0050982
Oxford New York Tokyo
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
1991
.
Oxford University Press, Walton Street, Oxford 0X2 6DP
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Oxford is a trade mark of Oxford University Press
Published in the United States
by Oxford University Press, New York
© Adrian D. Bell and Alan Bryan, 1991
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any
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University Press
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Bell, Adrian D.
Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology.
1 . Flowering plants. Morphology
1. Title
582.13041
ISBN 0-19-854279-8
ISBN 0-19-854219-4 pbk
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Bell, Adrian D.
Plant form : an illustrated guide to flowering plant
morphology /
Adrian D. Bell: with line drawings by Alan Bryan.
1. Angiosperms—Morphology. 2. Botany—Morphology.
3. Angiosperms—Morphology—Atlases. 4. Botany—
Morphology—A tlases
1. Brijan, Alan. 11. Title.
QK641.B45 1990 582.1 3'044—dc20 90-34783
ISBN 0-19-854279-8
ISBN 0-19-854219-4 (pbk.)
Photoset by Cotswold Typesetting Ltd, Gloucester
Printed in Singapore by Times Printers Ltd
'The study of the external features of plants is in danger of being too
much overshadowed by that of the internal features. The student, when
placed before the bewildering variety offorms does not know where to
begin or what to do to acquire information about the plants'.
willis (1897)
'Horticulture is, undoubtedly, a great medium of civilization, and its
pursuit is highly commendable, for it is impossible for anyone to study,
even for a short period only, the structure, forms, and colours of plants,
and benefits derived from the vegetable creation, without an elevation of
thought, a refinement of taste, and an increased love of nature'.
B. S. WILLIAMS (1868)
f
l have bought me a hawk and a hood, and bells and all, and lack
nothing but a book to keep it by'.
ben jonson (1598)
Coiypha utan
The single monopodial axis (section 250) finally terminating
in an inflorescence after 44 years of growth. Model of
Holttum (Fig. 291c).
:
Flowering plants exhibit a fascinating array of knowhow, heavily biased towards floral
external structures which can be studied with the structure, and has at his disposal a profusion of
naked eye or at most a simple hand lens. This is terminology that is daunting to the beginner and
the science of plant morphology, the term being expert alike. A guide is thus required for the
Preface used here in the sense that excludes plant benefit of both. This book is deliberately, I hope,
anatomy. Although an understanding of the form attractive, the better to woo the budding botanist
and external components of a plant should be the and the curious amateur plantsman. It is divided
foundation of any botanical investigation, it is into two parts. The first part illustrates and
customary to rush ahead, delving deep into the explains much of the purely descriptive
plant, and thus either ignoring or missing the terminology involved in plant morphology, whilst
very features that the plant presents to the the second part deals with an equally important
environment. The situation is very well-expressed but largely ignored aspect of morphology
by my namesake, Professor P. R. Bell (1985): 'In constructional organization. The plant is
recent years the spectacular advances in developing, its organs are developing, most
molecular biology have generated such flowering plants branch, the branching patterns
excitement that there has perhaps been a of the plant develop over time, and growth is
tendency for organisms to be overlooked. Biology dynamic. Cover of this aspect of plant
must nevertheless remain "organismic", and the morphology, which is of relevance to the
researcher who loses the concept of organisms ecologist and the population biologist (Harper
seriously weakens his claim to be a biologist'. A 1980), culminates in an example drawn from the
blinkered attitude to plants probably commences contemporary morphological world, that of the
at school level and continues through university. dynamic architecture of tropical trees. The
Excellent texts of plant morphology do exist, but author's fascination with plant morphology has
they tend to presume a foundation of botanical been fostered by a providential succession of
education that is no longer available. The ground mentors, A. D. Prince at school, N. Woodhead at
rules of plant morphology are, by and large, college, and P. B. Tomlinson ever since. Their
forgotten (Kaplan 1973a). The^student of botany teachings have one principle : if the morphology
feels this defect but does not know how to resolve of a plant surprises you, then this is more likely
it; the academic conceals his ignorance. It is to reflect your ignorance rather than an
tempting to suggest that many an enthusiastic abnormality on the part of the plant. An
amateur horticulturist understands plants more unfortunate preoccupation with European plants
intimately in terms of their morphology than in the past led morphologists to be taken aback
does the average botanist. This criticism cannot by the exuberance of the world's vegetation,
be levelled, however, at the taxonomist who is especially that of the tropics. But this is where
armed with a great deal of morphological the range of plant form can best be appreciated.
For this reason the plants illustrated in this book 35 mm lens) together with extension tubes where Harvard University. These good people have been
originate in all continents, and many will be appropriate. Very frequently supplementary light able to point me in a better direction on a
unfamiliar to a reader confined to one was supplied by means of a pair of synchronized number of issues. Any errors that remain are my
geographical region. However, the same flash units mounted 1 5 cm to either side of the own; it is inevitable that some morphologists
morphological features and details of lens on a bar fixed to the camera body. somewhere will take me to task on points of
constructional organization are repeated time Kodachrome 64 ASA was used throughout. I detail, rash generalizations, or personal opinions.
and again in totally unrelated plants and the must thank many botanical gardens for allowing I have relied on other people's plant identification
reader will recognize familiar forms if not familiar access to specimens: The Royal Botanic Garden, in most instances and have followed the
names. Edinburgh; The Botanic and Genetic Gardens of nomenclature of Willis (1973). Let me hide once
In a sense this book can be treated as an Oxford University; the Fairchild Tropical Garden, again behind the axiom of my teacher at
illustrated dictionary to be consulted as necessary Miami, USA; The Botanic Gardens of Montpellier, university; 'It is the plant that is always right'.
and in any sequence. With this in mind, the text France; the private gardens of M. Marnier
and illustrations are extensively cross-referenced Lapostolle, St. Jean Cap Ferrat, France; and the
and the index annotated. The seasoned Treborth Botanic Gardens of the University
morphologist may be surprised to find equal College of North Wales, Bangor. Other
space (one double-paged spread) allocated to such photographic sorties have been made hither and
an insignificant feature as a stipel (58), and to thither and the author is grateful to those who
such a vast topic as floral morphology (146) or have helped him visit various countries in Europe
the morphology of fruit and seed dispersal (160). and particularly south and central America. I am
Whole books have been devoted to these wider very grateful to a great many people who have
topics to which references are given, where helped me in different ways to complete this
appropriate, rather than the information being guide: Nerys Owen for typing and most efficiently
duplicated here. All the line drawings and converting recorded tapes into word processor
diagrams are the work of Alan Bryan to whom I format without complaint and Josie Rodgers for
am clearly indebted. Alan's talent as an artist taming the index with a suitable computer
represents a happy combination of natural program; my colleagues at the School of Plant
ability, an eye for detail, and a classical botanical Biology, Bangor, for their encouragement and in
training. Practically all the drawings and all the particular Professor J. L. Harper for recognizing
photographs have been taken from living plants, that plant morphology is a key subject. A
the exceptions being a few dried woody number of kind people have commented on drafts
specimens, and a very few that have been of the manuscript at various stages. I am
adapted from existing illustrations. All the indebted to Professor F. Halle of the Botanical
photographs were taken by the author (except 7 Institute, U.S.T.L. Montpellier, to Professor P.
as noted) using an old Pentax Spotmatic II Greig-Smith and Dr. and Mrs. N. Runham of
camera with a 105 mm lens (or occasionally a Bangor, and to Professor P. B. Tomlinson of