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Despite its significance in the reproductive cycle of flowering plants, and its importance in helping to interpret plant evolution, the stamen, and its fertile, pollen-bearing part, the anther, have received relatively little scientific attention. To help begin to address this shortcoming the contributions in this volume give an indication of the kinds of studies now being undertaken with a view to stimulating further work on this neglected plant organ. Traditional and contemporary concepts of stamen construction, terminology and function are summarised, and an extensive bibliography gives access to relevant literature. Evidence for the evolution of the anther is drawn from the fossil record and from studies of its growth and structure, and the dynamics of stamen evolution is detailed for several families.
First published in 1996.
Preface; 1. About anthers and stamens and what they do; 2. The fossil history of stamens; 3. The origin and early evolution of angiosperm stamens; 4. Diversity and evolutionary trends in angiosperm anthers; 5. Are stamens and carpels homologous?; 6. Temporal control points in anther differentiation: implications for anther evolution; 7. Diversity of endothecial patterns in the angiosperms; 8. The oxalate package or so-called resorption tissue in some bee-pollinated angiosperms; 9. Anther adaptations for animal pollination; 10. Anther differentiation in the Asclepiadaceae: form and function; 11. Stamen development in legumes with emphasis on porate stamens of Cassieae; 12. Anther investigations: a review of methods; 13. A bibliography of stamen morphology and anatomy; Index.
'! an immensely stimulating collection ! a splendid source of both information and ideas, well edited and nicely produced.' Michael Proctor, Nature 'The editors are to be congratulated for having produced a stimulating and very readable encyclopaedic reference book on the anther ! I would recommend anyone with a scientific interest in plants to read it.' Stephen Blackmore, Annals of Botany '! the book gives an intensive and comprehensive insight into the items of the anther. The contributions are written by outstanding scientists, clearly, precisely, extremely well illustrated. The book can be recommended for all those concerned with and interested in the morphology and phylogeny of flowers and those favouring aesthetic scientific illustrations.' Norbert Leist, Journal of Plant Physiology 'This is a most welcome book ! I would recommend this as a very good reference book for those researchers involved in stamen studies be they morphological, phylogenetic or focused toward whatever aspect of staminal characteristics.' Paula M. Hermann
