Table Of Content

BOOKREVIEWS BrianCapon.2005.BotanyforGardeners.RevisedEdition.(ISBN0-88192-655-8, pbk.).TimberPressInc.133S.WSecondAve,Suite450,Portland,OR97204- 3527,U.S.A.(Orders:www.tnTiberpress.com,[email protected],503- 227-2878,1-800-327-5680,503-227-3070fax).$19.95,240pp.,147color photos,3colordrawings,Ib/wphoto,53linedrawings,4tables,6"x9". BolanylorGardenersbyBrianCaponisahandyandwell-writtenbooklorthesewhowishtolearn moreaboutbotanyandplantecology.Manynaturalistsandgardenersalreadyappreciateplants,but oltenhaveunansweredquestionsabouttheplantstheyenjoy.Forinstance—whydorootsgrowdown andshootsgrowup?Howdowaterandnutrientsmo\'ethroughaplant?Whatarcallthepartsola plantandflower?Howdoplantgrattswork?Whatarcinycorrhizacf'Whatisthepurposeolallthe differentnutrientsinfertilizer?Theseandsomanyotherbotanicalc|uesiionsareansweredandex- plainedinthisbook.BotanyforGardenersislavishlypepperedwithcolorphotographsandblackand whitedi"awingsthatcoordinatewithideasandtopicsbeingdiscussedinthetext.Theseimages,some olwhicharciromamicroscope,enhancethereadersunderstandingolplantstructureandmake-up. Therearefivemainsectionsinthebook:growth,organizationofplantstructures,adaptations, plantfunctionsandreproduction.Eachmainsectionisbrokendownintoreasonablysizedsub-chapters. Thesectiondiscussingplantgrowthstartswiththebasicsofaplantcellthroughseedgermi- nationandcontinuesintotheroots,shoots,leafgrowth,andleafmaturity.Thesectiononorganiza- tiongivesthereaderaninsidelookatstemsandroots,emphasizingtheircellularorganizationand celltypes.Theadaptationsectionintroducesthereadertoallthewaysthatplantsadapttovarious environmentalchallenges;amongtheseareclimatevariations,protectionfromanimalbrowsing, woundhealing,chemicalprotection,andfinallyenhancingaplantsabilitytocompetemandamong otherplantsforspace,light,water,andnutrients.Thissectionalsoincludesaninterestingdiscussion aboutplantfoodsources,waterstorage,andbeneficialrelationshipswithlungi. Thesectiononplantfunctionscoversgrowthresponsestolight,gravity,touch,branching,ad- ventitiousrootlormation,andthehormonesandenvironmentalconditionsinvolvedinthosefunc- tions.Mineralnutrientrequirements,waterandmineraluptakeandtransportwithintheplantare discussed,aswellastheprocessofphotosynthesis. ThefinalsectioncoveringplantreproductionincludesdiscussionolIlowerparts,pcillination, pollinationstrategies,Iruittypes,seedlormation,andseeddispersal.Thelinalchapteroltherepro- ductionsectionincludesaplantgeneticsprimerthatintroducesreaderstothelifecyclesoimosses, ferns,andfloweringplants.Punnetsquares,andgeneexpression.Someotthevaluabletidbitsin- cludedthroughoutthechaptersareatablelistingtheoriginsofgardenandmanyagriculturalcrop plants,distinctdefinitionsandphotographsofspines,thornsandprickles,alistolpoisonoushouse- holdplants,aprimeronplantgenetics,andanappendixdiscussingplantnamingclassiiication. BotanyforGardenersnotonlycoverthebasics,butalsocantakeareadermuchdeeperintothe detailsofphotosynthesisandplantgenetics.Someofthetopicsmaybebeyondwhatanyparticular readerwouldliketoknow.Theauthordoesagoodjobofpresentingtopicssuchasphotosynthesis, respirationandgenetics,which,bynaturecanbefrustratingtounderstand.Thephotographsandfig- ureswillreallyhelpthereaderunderstandwhatisbeingdiscussed;especiall)'itemssuchascellular organizationorstructuraldevelopmentwhereamicroscopewouldbeneededtoviewandunderstand thetopicproperly.Whetheryouarelookinglorthatbookthatwillintroduceyoutothebasicsolplant biology,arelookingtoanswergardeningquestions,orneedabooktohelpyoucreateabotanicalback- groundtolearntouseanidentificationtext.BotanyforGardenersisthebookloryou'—LeelAiekeydoo, Herhanum.BoianicaiResearchInstituteofTexas,509PeeanStreet.¥onWorth.TX76102-4060.USA. SIDA21(3):1951.2005