For our Introduction to Plant Biology (2 quarters, non-major) course I use
Kingsley Stern's Introductory Plant Biology (8th) (McGraw-Hill). It has
brief descriptions of 16 monocot and dicot families which were selected
primarily for their economic importance. The text is less detailed than
Raven but adequately covers the major points of an introductory course and
I can supplement where needed. I especially like his treatment of plant
life cycles.
I also teach our Local Flora course and have looked for many years for a
text for that course. I simply require a field manual (Newcomb's
Wildflower Guide). I would like to find a book that would include
highlights of the history of plant taxonomy, modern methods of
classification, basic morphology of vascular plants, and an illustrated
glossary of the most frequently used terms. This needs to be written at a
level suitable for prospective teachers, gardners, naturalists, etc. There
already are books suited for graduate students in taxonomy/systematics.
I'm looking forward to the responses you receive.
Dave Kramer
> 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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David W. Kramer, Ph.D.
Asst. Prof. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology
Ohio State University at Mansfield
1680 University Drive
Mansfield, OH 44906-1547
Phone: (419) 755-4344 FAX: (419) 755-4367
e-mail: kramer.8 at osu.edu
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