Understanding Flowers and Flowering, Second Edition
Beverley Glover
Abstract
This book takes a uniquely integrated approach to the study of floral biology. Flowers are the beautiful and complex reproductive structures of the angiosperms, one of the most diverse and successful groups of living organisms. The underlying thesis of this book is that to fully understand flower development (and why flowers differ in shape, structure and colour), it is necessary to understand why it is advantageous for them to look like they do. Conversely, in order to fully understand plant ecology, it is necessary to appreciate how floral structures develop and have evolved. Uniquely, this ... More
This book takes a uniquely integrated approach to the study of floral biology. Flowers are the beautiful and complex reproductive structures of the angiosperms, one of the most diverse and successful groups of living organisms. The underlying thesis of this book is that to fully understand flower development (and why flowers differ in shape, structure and colour), it is necessary to understand why it is advantageous for them to look like they do. Conversely, in order to fully understand plant ecology, it is necessary to appreciate how floral structures develop and have evolved. Uniquely, this book addresses flowers and flowering from both a molecular genetic perspective (considering flower induction, development and self-incompatibility) and an ecological perspective (looking at the selective pressures placed on plants by pollinators, and the consequences for animal-plant co-evolution). The book begins by considering the evolution of flowers and the history of research into their development. This is followed by a detailed description of the processes which lead to flower production in model plants. The book then examines how flowers differ in shape, structure and colour, and how these differences are generated. Finally it assesses the role of these various aspects of floral biology in attracting pollinators and ensuring successful reproduction.
Keywords:
evo-devo,
floral transition,
angiosperm,
floral symmetry,
flower colour,
flower evolution,
plant breeding system,
pollination syndrome,
pollinator
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2014 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780199661596 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: April 2014 |
DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199661596.001.0001 |
Authors
Affiliations are at time of print publication.
Beverley Glover, author
Professor of Plant Systematics and Evolution, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
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