Green plants : the inside story

Green plants evolved from aquatic, single-celled green algae about 500 million years ago.

Now, all animals derive their food either directly or indirectly from plants.

Without photosynthesis, atmospheric oxygen levels could not be maintained.

Consequently, the study of plant life is central and fundamental to an understanding of the living world.

Green plants include mosses and liverworts, horsetails and club mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants.

This book is mainly about flowering plants and explains by illustrations: leaf, stem and root structure in relation to functions; the unique steps to seed production and how plants propagate; the flowering plant life cycle and its evolutionary significance; plants that feed and serve us - an introduction to economic botany; plants and the environment, sensitivity and adaptations; and woody plants and the significance of dendrochronology.

Througout, concepts are explained using photographs, photomicrographs, line drawings and flow diagrams, as well as concise text.

Answers are provided for the text questions and a glossary is included.