Kaplan’s Principles of Plant Morphology

Kaplan’s Principles of Plant Morphology defines the field of plant morphology, providing resources, examples, and theoretical constructs that illuminate the foundations of plant morphology and clearly outline the importance of integrating a fundamental understanding of plant morphology into modern research in plant genetics, development and physiology. As research on developmental genetics and plant evolution emerges, an understanding of plant morphology is essential to interpret developmental and morphological data. The principles of plant morphology are being brought into studies of crop development, biodiversity and evolution during climate change, and increasingly such researchers are turning to old texts to uncover information about historic research on plant morphology; there is great need for a modern reference and textbook that highlights past studies and provides the synthesis of data necessary to drive our future research in plant morphological and developmental evolution.

Contents

– Introduction to the science of plant morphology: goals and concepts
– The cast of characters: a review of the plant kingdom and its major representatives
– The relationship between morphology and anatomy in plants
– Plant embryogenesis: the origin of morphological organization during development
– Early plant development: from seed to seedling to established plant
– Divergent patterns of seedling development and their significance for the interpretation of plant ontogeny and evolution
– The shoot: phyllotaxis
– The concept of differential growth
– The effect of internodal elongation on shoot form
– The effect of stem thickening growth on shoot form/shoot lateral symmetry
– Shoot branching
– Developmental expressions and specializations of shoot branches
– Leaf morphology and development
– Transectional symmetry of leaves
– Longitudinal symmetry and zonation of leaves I
– Longitudinal symmetry and zonation of leaves II
– Blade dissection
– Specializations in leaf structure and function
– Morphology of reproductive shoots: I. Pteridophytes
– Morphology of reproductive shoots and reproduction: II. Gymnosperms
– Morphology of reproductive shoots and reproduction: III. The angiosperms: A. The floral shoot
– Morphology of reproductive shoots and reproduction: III. The angiosperms: B. The floral organs in their pre- and postfertilization states
– Morphology of reproductive shoots and reproduction: III. The angiosperms: C. Inflorescence morphology
– Principles of root morphology