Australian Seeds: A Guide to Their Collection, Identification and Biology [Book Review] PDF
Preview Australian Seeds: A Guide to Their Collection, Identification and Biology [Book Review]
BookReviews AUSTRALIAN SEEDS Australian Seeds: AGuide to their Collection, A(,u«fciciihcirtlollcuKiii,ldcnti(kjiK»n-<nd Identification and Biology edited by Luke Sweedman and David Merritt Publisher: CSIROPublishing, 2006. 258pages, paperback, colourphotos, ISBN0643092986. RRP$69.95 Australia is going through perhaps the Western Australia, which has some of most important phases of land rehabilita- Australia’s ifnot the world’s unique flora, tion and landcare in its 200 years of has been a leader in floristic research on European occupation. This is a timely the many facets of native seed and is an book that addresses most aspects of ideal base forsuch work to be published in Australian nativeplant seed. bookform. Seed is the most important component in All chapters are thoroughly researched any revegetation project and plant nursery and are of considerable interest. These seedlingproduction. include Seeds through time; Seed and fruit A publication that has sound and relevant structure; Seed biology and ecology; Seed information towards helping practitioners collection, drying, cleaning and storage. and researchers in this field is a welcome An excellent chapter on seed collection addition tothemanybooks now available. guidelines for common Australian plant Australian Seeds: A Guide to their families and genera is of interest as many Collection, Identification and Biology, is ofthesecan be found inotherstates. an excellenttextbook followingon from an This book is complemented by the excel- earlier work, also published by CSIRO lent photography of some 1400 different researchers. species ofseed in natural colour and size. Until the last decade many rehabilitation This alone isworth theprice ofthe book. and revegetation works in most Australian While this book is titled Australian states were carried out in a somewhat ad Seeds, most photographs ofseeds are from hoc manner, although with good intention. thewestern sideofthenation. One ofthe main concerns was that people Although other states have made good using Australian native plant seed lacked progressinthis fieldwithnativeseedrelated knowledge and understanding of the ger- books and papers, this book has set the mination cues required. national bench mark. It is hoped that other With this book comes awealth ofknowl- states may embrace similar models in the edgethatwill helpaddressthisand achieve yearsahead. better outcomes in land rehabilitation pro- Australian Seeds is an excellent work, a jects that help to put back floristic founda- credit to all contributors. This bookwill be tions intotheAustralian landscape. awelcome addition tothe literature, amust Those of us involved with native plant for all researchers, plant nursery propaga- seeds are always keen to read up-to-date torsand revegetation practitioners. literature on new techniques in the under- standing of breaking seed dormancy, par- ticularly for understorey species, and other Neville B Bonney related native plant seed biology. The NativBeoSxee3d7,PrTaacnttiatinoonoelra, effect of fire and smoke on seed is of SouthAustralia5280 importance formany plantgenera. Vol. 125(3)2008 83
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