Flowering Plants · Dicotyledons: Magnoliid, Hamamelid and Caryophyllid Families

Kubitzki, Klaus; Rohwer, Jens G.; Bittrich, Volker

This volume - the first of this series dealing with angiosperms - comprises the treatments of 73 families, representing three major blocks of the dicotyledons: magnoliids, centrosperms, and hamamelids. These blocks are generally recognized as subclasses in modern textbooks and works of reference. We consider them a convenient means for structuring the hundreds of di­ cotyledon families, but are far from taking them at face value for biological, let alone mono­ phyletic entities. Angiosperm taxa above the rank of family are little consolidated, as is easily seen when comparing various modern classifications. Genera and families, in contrast, are comparatively stable units -and they are important in practical terms. The genus is the taxon most frequently recognized as a distinct entity even by the layman, and generic names provide the key to all in­ formation available about plants. The family is, as a rule, homogeneous enough to conve­ niently summarize biological information, yet comprehensive enough to avoid excessive re­ dundance. The emphasis in this series is, therefore, primarily on families and genera.

Details

Published by: Springer

Publication Date: 1993-07-28

Format: Hardcover

ISBN-13: 9783540555094

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-02899-5

Dimensions: 254.0cm x178.0cm

Pages: 653.0