You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
A much-needed new study on plant galls growths on plants formed of plant tissue that are caused by other organisms. Most naturalists have come across oak apples, robin s pincushions, marble galls and witches brooms, a few of the more familiar examples of the strange growths that are plant galls. They are beautiful, often bizarre and colourful, and amazingly diverse in structure and in the organisms which cause them. They have been known since ancient times and have attracted superstitions and folk customs. Both the ancient Greeks and the Chinese used them in herbal medicine, and until well into the nineteenth century, they had a variety of commercial uses: important for dyeing cloth, tanning...
This book has been produced with the aim of stimulating the general naturalist to take a closer look at the bumps and lumps that make up the fascinating world of plant galls. Induced by a variety of insects and other organisms and ranging from tiny pimples to bizarre and often very attractive and exquisitely sculptured growths, plant galls are mystery to many people, but they offer a fascinating field of study for both botanists and zoologists. Galls can be found on a very wide range of both woody and herbaceous plants, with over 50 different kinds occurring on Britain's oak trees alone, and there is still much to be learned about even the commonest examples. An introduction to the nature of plant galls and their formation Brief descriptions of some of the organisms that cause or induce galls Superb photographs of just over 200 of the commonest or most conspicuous of Britain's 1,000 or so plant galls, arranged according to their host plants to aid field identification Descriptions of these galls and the life histories of the organisms that cause them
However, the insect cycles and gall structures are amazing examples of the complexity of nature.
None
This book is based on Herbert Buhr's seminal keys of 1964-1965 (Bestimmungstabellen der Gallen (Zoo- und Phytocecidien) an Pflanzen Mittel- und Nordeuropas) and augmented with Houard's 1908-1913 work on Southern Europe (Les Zoocécidies des Plantes d'Europe et du Bassin de la Méditerranée). The authors have updated this with the research of a new generation of cecidologists, significantly expanding our knowledge of plant galls and their distribution. The 9,000 galls and malformations described by Buhr and Houard have been updated and 1,250 new galls described in more recent literature have been added. The nomenclature of both gall inducers and host plants has been updated, information about specific groups of gall inducers has been reviewed, and new insights have been added by a team of specialists. Moreover, they collected distribution data for the whole of Europe and, where available, adjacent areas.
"This exciting book belongs on every naturalist's bookshelf. The excellent color photos and clear text will endear it to the amateur while the accurate identifications will please the professional. This book is an ideal gift for anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors."--Katherine Schick, Essig Museum of Entomology, University of California, Berkeley "This identification guide, with its summaries of the science and lore of galls and their causative organisms, engagingly draws one into another barely explored world, one presently known only to a few. With the publication of this book, many more can now appreciate these fascinating plant growths."--Raymond J. Gagne, Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA "This comprehensive, descriptive, and beautifully illustrated guide to plant galls of the West will appeal to both professional and amateur."--Diane M. Erwin, Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley "A great book for entomologists, plant pathologists, and would-be naturalists who are curious about the amazing insect-plant relationships illustrated by plant galls."--Charles Dailey, Sierra College
A photographic guide to 536 species of plant galls found west of the Rockies Beautiful and bizarre, plant galls are growths of various shapes, sizes, and colors produced in response to invading organisms. Describing 536 species of galls and their causative agents, Plant Galls of the Western United States explores this unique realm with stunning photos and fascinating information about the life cycles of the organisms involved. Often species-specific, plant galls can be shaped like stars, baskets, clubs, wigs, bowls, and cups, with colors and combinations that stagger the imagination. This richly illustrated field guide examines how galls develop, and their uses, seasonal appearance and growt...
Gavin Hardy and Laurence Totelin have brought together their botanical and historical knowledge to produce this unique overview of ancient botany. It examines all the founding texts of botanical science, such as Theophrastus' Enquiry into Plants, Dioscorides' Materia Medica, Pliny the Elder's Natural History, Nicolaus of Damascus' On Plants, and Galen' On Simple Remedies, but also includes lesser known texts ranging from the sixth century BCE to the seventh century CE, as well as some material evidence. The authors adopt a thematic approach rather than a chronological one, considering important issues such as the definition of a plant, nomenclature, classifications, physiology, the link between plants and their environment, and the numerous usages of plants in the ancient world. The book also takes care to place ancient botany in its historical, social and economic context. The authors have explained all technical botanical terms and ancient history notions, and as a result, this work will appeal to historians of ancient science, medicine and technology; classicists; and botanists interested in the history of their discipline.
Take a journey through a forest of fascinating facts and explore the wonders of the plant kingdom - from the tallest and smallest, to the smelliest and deadliest. This A to Z gift book reveals some of the most quirky and awe-inspiring stories about plants and will give you a whole new appreciation of all things floral. Did you know that the swamp cypress has breathing knees? Or that poison dart frogs raise their young in tank bromeliads high up in the rainforest canopy? That oak galls can be used as a source of ink, or that juniper wood once fuelled illicit whisky distilleries? Do you know what a vegetable sheep is, or which plants were used in the Egyptian art of embalming? We are surrounded by plants that live unusual and diverse lives, and we put them to some surprising uses. Bizarre Botany is packed with amazing facts that you'll want to share with everyone you know.