The Cactus Primer / Park S. Nobel, Arthur C. Gibson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gibson, Arthur C., author.

Nobel, Park S., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cactus.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (296 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

Reprint 2014

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, MA : Harvard University Press, [2014]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The Cactus Primer presents the amateur cactophile with an excellent introduction to cactus biology and provides the informed reader with an invaluable summary of the last forty years' research. This book goes far beyond books that instruct readers in the propagation, growth, and care of these plants; addressing matters of more scientific interest, it takes an integrated approach to the presentation of the form, physiology, evolution, and ecology of cacti. The book is unique in that it combines the descriptive morphology and physiology documented in the scientific literature with more general observations found in popular publications on cacti. It provides a new generic classification of the cacti and contains much new information, including data on photosynthesis, heat and cold tolerance, computer modeling of ribs, and the effects of spines. Enhanced by over 400 illustrations and supplemented with an extensive glossary, this book will appeal to cactus enthusiasts interested in the classification and growth of cacti, as well as to plant biologists who use cacti to illustrate desert adaptation and convergent evolution. Written in accessible style, The Cactus Primer is bound to serve a dual function as both an instructive tool and a reference work in cactus biology for years to come.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Preface

Contents

1 The Cactus Plant

2 Cacti with Primitive Features

3 Succulence

4 Gas Exchange and Crassulacean Acid Metabolism

5 Areoles and Spines

6 Tubercles and Ribs

7 Factors Affecting Distribution

8 Growth Habits

9 Special Chemicals

10 Phylogeny and Speciation

11 Evolutionary Relationships

Glossary

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Mai 2019)

Other Format:

Print version: Gibson, Arthur C. Cactus primer.

OCLC:

1013936117