Let the experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens guide you around the beautiful and mysterious world that is the plant kingdom.
From regulating the air we breathe to providing food, clothes, fuels, and medicines – plants are fundamental to our lives. Discover an extraordinary diversity of species, which includes a grass that grows a meter a day, roots that breathe air, and "queen of the night" cactuses whose rare blooms vanish before dawn.
In a combination of art and science, Flora celebrates plants from majestic trees to microscopic algae, explaining how they germinate, grow, and reproduce. It presents species that have evolved to accommodate pollinating insects such as the foxglove, and plants that have adapted to flourish in even the most hostile of habitats.
Author(s): DK
Series: Smithsonian
Edition: 1
Publisher: DK
Year: 2018
Language: English
Commentary: Vector PDF
Pages: 440
City: New York, NY
Tags: Popular Science; Children; Biology; Gardening
contents
the plant kingdom
what is a plant?
types of plants
classifying plants
roots
fibrous roots
taproots
plant supports
absorbing nutrients
storage systems
plants in art: impressions of nature
nitrogen fixing
the fly agaric
contractile roots
aerial roots
the strangler fig
living on air
parasitic plants
mistletoe
roots in water
water lilies
breathing roots
mangroves
stems and branches
types of stems
inside stems
plants in art: natural renaissance
tree trunks
bark types
the quaking aspen
branch arrangement
winter buds
insulated buds
cauliflorous plants
stem defenses
the kapok tree
stems and resin
the dragon tree
storing food
beneficial relationships
fibrous trunks
plants in art: west meets east
twining stems
climbing techniques
storage stems
the saguaro cactus
leafless stems
new plants from stems
moso bamboo
leaves
leaf types
leaf structure
compound leaves
plants in art: designed by nature
developing leaves
unfurling ferns
leaf arrangement
plants in art: botanic reinvention
leaves and the water cycle
leaves and light
leaf size
leaf shapes
drip tips
leaf margins
hairy foliage
plants in art: ancient herbals
succulent foliage
waxy leaves
the quiver tree
silver leaves
variegated leaves
the japanese maple
fall colors
stinging leaves
the sweet thorn
leaf defenses
leaves in extremes
the bismarck palm
floating leaves
plants with pools
leaves that eat
sundews
leaves that reproduce
protective bracts
bract types
leaves and spines
flowers
parts of a flower
ancient flowers
flower shapes
flower development
flowers and seasons
plants in art: chinese painting
flower fertilization
pollen grains
encouraging diversity
managing pollen
plants in art: japanese woodblock prints
unisexual plants
incompatible flowers
the titan arum
flowers that change sex
inflorescences
inflorescence types
rays and disks
the sunflower
wind-pollinated flowers
grass flowers
flowers and nectar
storing nectar
designed for visitors
precision pollination
buzz pollination
plants in art: radical visions
winter blooms
flowers for birds
flowers for animals
flying visitors
the queen of the night
color attraction
nectar guides
the hollyhock
color signals
restricted entry
fragrant traps
the corpse flower
special relationships
natural mimics
designed to deceive
self-pollinating flowers
plants in art: blooms for royalty
closing at night
bud defenses
armored flowers
colorful bracts
plants in art: american enthusiasts
cone reproduction
seeds and fruits
seed structure
naked seeds
inside seed cones
enclosed seeds
types of fruits
plants in art: ancient gardens
flower to fruit
fruit anatomy
the banana
seed distribution
dispersed by diet
colorful seeds
plants in art: art and science
animal couriers
seeds with wings
the dandelion
seeds with parachutes
silky seeds
common milkweed
pods and capsules
exploding seedpods
fennel flower
seeds and fire
water dispersal
plants in art: painting the world
natural clones
fern spores
spore to fern
haircap mosses
plant families
catalog of plant families
families of the plant kingdom
glossary
index
list of botanical art
acknowledgments
