E-raamat: Cycad Classification [CABI e-raamatud]

In April 2002, specialists from around the world on cycad systematics gathered for a workshop in Miami, Florida, and submitted papers for this volume. The purpose was to develop a suite of classification guidelines in support of the advancement of an internationally accepted and stable evolutionary classification for taxa in the plant order Cycadales in light of the confusion that has been proliferating in proportion to the number of advanced technologies, most involving DNA, that have been applied to the field. Among the topics are the implications of taxonomic uncertainty and shifting infrageneric concepts in the Cycadales for red listing and conservation planning, morphological characters useful in determining species boundaries, in search of the true tree, and many studies of specific taxa in specific places. Distributed by Oxford University Press. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This volume presents the current state of our knowledge of the classification of the approximately 300 species of cycads. It includes contributions from leading researchers from Australia, China, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand and the USA. It has been developed from papers presented at a workshop held in 2002 at the Montgomery Botanical Center. The book provides guidelines for the designation of species, species boundaries and species groupings, thus clarifying what has been a confused area of research.