A Natural History of ConifersTimber Press, 1 sty 2008 - 304 A compelling account of the extraordinary relatives of ordinary garden conifers. Leading expert Aljos Farjon provides a compelling narrative that observes conifers from the standpoint of the curious naturalist. It starts with the basic question of what conifers are and continues to explore their evolution, taxonomy, ecology, distribution, human uses, and issues of conservation. As the story unfolds many popular misconceptions are dispelled, such as the false notion that all conifers have cones. The extraordinary diversity of conifers begins to dawn as Farjon describes the diminutive creeping shrub Microcachrys tetragona, whose strange seed cones resemble raspberries, and the prehistoric-looking Araucaria meulleri. The taxonomic diversity of conifers is huge and Farjon goes on to relate how, over the course of 300 million years, these trees and shrubs have adapted to survive geological upheavals, climatic extremes, and formidable competition from flowering plants. All who seek to learn more about the early history of life on our planet will cherish this book. |
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Abies Agathis ancestor angiosperms Araucaria Araucaria araucana Araucariaceae areas Australia biodiversity birds Botanic botanists bracts branches Caledonia Callitris Cephalotaxaceae Chamaecyparis chapter characters China clade cladistic climate coast conifer cone conifer families conifer forest conifer species continents Cretaceous cultivars Cupressaceae cycads Dacrydium dinosaurs dispersal distribution diversity dwarf ecosystem epiphytes Europe evolution evolutionary evolved extant conifers extinction Farjon fers flora foliage fossil fossil record Gardens genera genus giant Gondwana grow growth gymnosperms habitat heathland invasive island Juniperus Jurassic known Larix leaves mountains natural North America northern Norway spruce occur Ocean ovules Pacific Permian phylogenetic Pinaceae pine Pinus plants Podocarpaceae Podocarpus pollen cones Pseudolarix rainforest relict resin rock Scots pine seed cones seedlings Sequoia Sequoiadendron shoot shrubs soil South Southern Hemisphere species of conifers specimens taxa Taxaceae taxonomic taxonomists Taxus Thuja tion trees Triassic tropical trunk ultramafic vegetation western Wollemi wood Zealand