Les Fougères et plantes alliées d’Europe

In the distant geological past, ferns played a fundamental role in the evolution of the living world. As the first plants to have really adapted to the terrestrial environment in the first half of the primary era (with a peak in the Carboniferous, 300 million years ago), they have continued, thereafter, to perfect their anatomical organization and their cycle of development, giving rise to the first forms of flowering plants.

This book is a new edition of a work by the same authors, published by Belin Editions  in 2002. The content has been completely updated for the 165 species of European ferns, including their biology, ecology, and distribution. The book reports important taxonomic updates, in particular on the question of phylogeny and hybrids ( 64 hybrids are currently identified in Europe), reflecting the significance of the  hybridization process as an important mechanism in the appearance of new species.

This encyclopaedic book is also intended to be a practical work, and includes identification keys to species level. The entries are well illustrated, and useful not only for species recognition but provide an attractive feature of the book. A chapter is dedicated to the chorology of ferns in France, including the distribution of each species on departmental maps. The rarity and protection status and the threat factors are also detailed for each species.

French language