When it comes to reproduction, gymnosperms are deeply weird. Cycads and co- fers have drawn out reproduction: at least 13 genera take over a year from polli- tion to fertilization. Since they don't apparently have any selection mechanism by which to discriminate among pollen tubes prior to fertilization, it is natural to w- der why such a delay in reproduction is necessary. Claire Williams' book celebrates such oddities of conifer reproduction. She has written a book that turns the context of many of these reproductive quirks into deeper questions concerning evolution. The origins of some of these questions can be traced back Wilhelm Hofmeister's 1851 book, which detailed the revolutionary idea of alternation of generations. This alternation between diploid and haploid generations was eventually to become one of the key unifying ideas in plant evolution. Dr. Williams points out that alter- tion of generations in conifers shows strong divergence in the evolution of male and female gametes, as well as in the synchronicity of male and female gamete development. How are these coordinated to achieve fertilization? Books on conifer reproduction are all too rare. The only major work in the last generation was Hardev Singh's 1978 Embryology of Gymnosperms, a book that summarized the previous century's work. Being a book primarily about embry- ogy, it stopped short of putting conifer reproduction in a genetic or evolutionary context.

Only current book on conifer reproduction Author is a recognized expert in the field Fills an important gap in botanical knowledge Commodity value of conifers is significant Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Klappentext

This compendium on conifer reproductive biology is intended as a text supplement for plant biology courses. Such a volume seems timely because knowledge of model flowering plants is expanding so fast that each new plant biology text has less written on conifers than the last. Conifer Reproductive Biology seems needed as a specialized botany reference for life science professionals, graduate students and advanced undergraduates. Its content was chosen for its relevance to those working in life sciences: ecology, evolution, genomics, environmental sciences, genetics, forestry, conservation and even immunology. Its content has also been shaped by a trend towards the integrative study of conifer reproduction.

"The chapters that reflect the author's expertise are masterly and I learned much from them. Bringing together this information could not have been done by anybody else."
Professor Philip Barry Tomlinson, Harvard Forest, Harvard University and National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, HI, USA.

" Conifer Reproductive Biology is a masterful compendium of the literature and a thoughtful diagnosis of what we know (and do not know) about how these fascinating, diverse, and ancient plants reproduce. I recommend it to any and all interested in plant life." Karl J. Niklas, The Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Plant Biology, Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.

Inhalt
Conifer Reproductive Biology Overview.- Introducing Conifers.- The Diplohaplontic Life Cycle.- Consequences of Heterospory.- Separate Female and Male Meioses.- The Female Gametophyte Inside the Ovule.- The Male Gametophyte Enclosed in a Pollen Wall.- Pollination and Fertilization.- Syngamy, Embryo Development and Seed Dispersal.- Mating System Dynamics: Form Versus Chance.- The Dynamic Wind-Pollinated Mating System.- The Embryo Lethal System.