Darwin's most wonderful plants : a tour of his botanical legacy / Ken Thompson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Thompson, Ken, 1954- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882.

Darwin, Charles.

Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882--Knowledge and learning--Botany.

Botany.

Plants.

Physical Description:

255 pages : illustrations, maps ; 21 cm

Place of Publication:

Chicago : The University of Chicago Press, 2019.

Summary:

Darwin was a brilliant and revolutionary botanist whose observations and theories were far ahead of his time. With Darwin's Most Wonderful Plants, biologist and gardening expert Ken Thompson restores this important aspect of Darwin's biography while also delighting in the botanical world that captivated the famous scientist. Thompson traces how well Darwin's discoveries have held up, revealing that many are remarkably long-lasting. Some findings are only now being confirmed and extended by high-tech modern research, while some have been corrected through recent analysis.

Contents:

Introduction. The secrets of plants

Room at the top. On the movements and habits of climbing plants (1865)

Slow learners. The power of movement in plants (1880)

The biter bit. Insectivorous plants (1875)

Sex and the single plant. On the various contrivances by which British and foreign orchids are fertilised by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing (1862) ; The effects of cross and self-fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom (1876) ; The different forms of flowers on plants of the same species (1877)

The mysteries of the cabbage patch. The variation of animals and plants under domestication (1868)

Afterword.

Notes:

"First published in Great Britain by Profile Books Ltd., 2018"--Title page verso.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 230-240) and index.

ISBN:

9780226675671

022667567X

9780226675701

022667570X

OCLC:

1090279315