I use Raven et al as a textbook for my sophomore level botany class which
currently covers plant anatomy and a survey of the plant kingdom. Over
time I have cut out coverage of physiology and of algae in order to spend
more time on the plant survey. I think that it is important for students
to know something about the major flowering plant families. I attempt to
teach them about 25 flowering plant families. The problem is that Raven
has no coverage of plant families. Other general botany texts have very
little on plant families. It is inappropriate to require my class to
purchase another $100 textbook on plant taxonomy. While I might study
texts like Walters and Keil (Vascular Plant Taxonomy) or Cambell, Judd, et
al (plant systematics: a phylogentic approach - I'm going from memory so I
don't have the exact authors or title), these texts contain much more
detail than my students need to learn. Is there a reasonably priced,
appropriately illustrated and user-friendly guide to flowering plant
families? Is there a general textbook that includes a limited survey of
plant families and also has a depth of coverage similar to Raven et al?
Scott Shumway
Associate Professor of Biology
Dept. of Biology
Wheaton College
Norton, MA 02766
508-286-3945
sshumway at wheatonma.edu
fax 508-285-8278
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