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Paleobotany and the Evolution of Plants
Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 44 (1985) 151--152 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam -- Printed in The Netherlands
151
Book Reviews
Paleobotany and the Evolution o f Plants. Wilson N. Stewart. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1983, 405 pp., £17.50, US $29.95 (hardcover). As a f o r m e r student who listened for m a n y hours in the classroom when some of the ideas for this book were no d o u b t being developed, it is a genuine pleasure to read Bill Stewart's exceptional synthesis of p a l e o b o t a n y in his highly informative and well-illustrated t ext book Paleobotany and the Evolution of Plants. Stewart's volume is a readable and exciting expos5 of fossil plants through time. By design it is versatile and can be easily adapted to either a single-semester or two-semester course. Although there is no a t t e m p t to cover all aspects of paleobotany, the 28 chapters provide a good exposure to the major groups o f plants and follow a relatively traditional classification. Th e a u t h o r has provided an excellent o p p o r t u n i t y for students in other biological and geological disciplines to become familiar with fossil plants w i t h o u t mastering sophisticated detail and specialized terminology. Each chapter has num e r ous subheadings which provide bot h the student and instructor with easy access to basic units of material, and m o s t of the chapters conclude with a s um m ar y outlining significant points. Among the most useful features o f this t e x t are the beautiful line drawings and reconstructions. These are supplemented with numerous, high-quality half-tones which provide an excellent balance between the actual fossils and the synthesis of i n f o r matio n depicted in a reconstruction. E x c e p t for a few typographical errors and m i n o r irritations introduced by the publisher there is little to criticize, although one might debate Stewart's interpretations concerning the evolution of certain plant groups and plant organs, or perhaps question aspects of the system of classification he has chosen t o adopt. But few could capture in a cohesive whole a broad and dynamic science as well as Wilson Stewart. F r o m amateur collector to professional paleobotanist, all will find this volume an indispensable source of up-to-date information as well as a tantalizing view o f the e x c i t e m e n t associated with the study of fossil plants. THOMAS N. TAYLOR (Columbus, OH)
Atlas of Airborne Fungal Spores in Europe. Siwert T. Nilsson (Editor). Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 1983, 139 pp., 87 plates and 10 figures, DM128, US $55.20 (cloth). This atlas contains high-quality illustrations (light micrographs, SEM and, in certain cases, TEM) of fungal spores of 87 species, representing the major t a x o n o m i c groups and their morphological variability. In the t e x t the morphological terminology is explained, the life cycles are briefly outlined and the illustrated spores are described in a final section. 0034-6667/85/$03.30
© 1985 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.
151
Book Reviews
Paleobotany and the Evolution o f Plants. Wilson N. Stewart. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1983, 405 pp., £17.50, US $29.95 (hardcover). As a f o r m e r student who listened for m a n y hours in the classroom when some of the ideas for this book were no d o u b t being developed, it is a genuine pleasure to read Bill Stewart's exceptional synthesis of p a l e o b o t a n y in his highly informative and well-illustrated t ext book Paleobotany and the Evolution of Plants. Stewart's volume is a readable and exciting expos5 of fossil plants through time. By design it is versatile and can be easily adapted to either a single-semester or two-semester course. Although there is no a t t e m p t to cover all aspects of paleobotany, the 28 chapters provide a good exposure to the major groups o f plants and follow a relatively traditional classification. Th e a u t h o r has provided an excellent o p p o r t u n i t y for students in other biological and geological disciplines to become familiar with fossil plants w i t h o u t mastering sophisticated detail and specialized terminology. Each chapter has num e r ous subheadings which provide bot h the student and instructor with easy access to basic units of material, and m o s t of the chapters conclude with a s um m ar y outlining significant points. Among the most useful features o f this t e x t are the beautiful line drawings and reconstructions. These are supplemented with numerous, high-quality half-tones which provide an excellent balance between the actual fossils and the synthesis of i n f o r matio n depicted in a reconstruction. E x c e p t for a few typographical errors and m i n o r irritations introduced by the publisher there is little to criticize, although one might debate Stewart's interpretations concerning the evolution of certain plant groups and plant organs, or perhaps question aspects of the system of classification he has chosen t o adopt. But few could capture in a cohesive whole a broad and dynamic science as well as Wilson Stewart. F r o m amateur collector to professional paleobotanist, all will find this volume an indispensable source of up-to-date information as well as a tantalizing view o f the e x c i t e m e n t associated with the study of fossil plants. THOMAS N. TAYLOR (Columbus, OH)
Atlas of Airborne Fungal Spores in Europe. Siwert T. Nilsson (Editor). Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 1983, 139 pp., 87 plates and 10 figures, DM128, US $55.20 (cloth). This atlas contains high-quality illustrations (light micrographs, SEM and, in certain cases, TEM) of fungal spores of 87 species, representing the major t a x o n o m i c groups and their morphological variability. In the t e x t the morphological terminology is explained, the life cycles are briefly outlined and the illustrated spores are described in a final section. 0034-6667/85/$03.30
© 1985 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.