Plant Systematics: An Integrated Approach

This new and thoroughly updated edition further consolidates the information on the principles of plant systematics, and includes descriptions of all major systems of classification, and significantly, also include discussion on the selected families of flowering plants, without sacrificing the discussion on basic principles. The description of families was deliberately left out in the earlier edition. The families included for discussion are largely those which have wide representation, as also those that are less known but significant in evaluating the phylogeny of angiosperms. The discussion of the families also has a considerable focus on their phylogenetic relationships, as evidenced by recent cladistic studies, with liberal citation of molecular data. The book strikes a balance between classical fundamental information and the recent developments in plant systematics. Special attention has been devoted to the information on botanical nomenclature, identification and phylogeny of angiosperms with numerous relevant examples and detailed explanation of the important nomenclatural problems. An attempt has been made to present a continuity between orthodox and contemporary identification methods by working on a common example. The methods of identification using computers have been further explored to help better online identification. The chapter on cladistic methods has been totally revised, and molecular systematics discussed in considerable detail.