Description
Book SynopsisCycads resemble palms, but are taxonomically quite different. They are a significant and irreplaceable component of the planet's biological diversity, having evolved various and often unique morphological, anatomical and biochemical features during their 250-million-year evolutionary history. Many cycad species exist today only as small, poorly-known or isolated populations or as ornamental species in botanic gardens. In order to understand fully, as well as to conserve, this internationally endangered tropical plant group, it is paramount that cycad systematics is studied, documented and refined.This volume presents the current state of our knowledge of the systematics of the approximately 300 species of cycads. It includes contributions from leading researchers from Australia, China, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand and the USA. It has been developed from papers presented at a workshop held in 2002 at the Montgomery Botanical Center.
Table of Contents1: We hold these truths…, T Walters, R Osborne and D Decker, Decker and Associates, Inc, California, USA 2: Saving ghosts? The implications of taxonomic uncertainty and shifting infrageneric concepts in the Cycadales for red listing and conservation planning, J Donaldson, National Botanical Institute, South Africa 3: Character evolution, species recognition and classification concepts in the Cycadaceae, K D Hill, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia 4: Morphological characters useful in determining species boundaries in Cycas (Cycadaceae), A Lindström, Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden, Chonburi, Thailand 5: Comments on Cycas, Dyerocycas and Epicycas (Cycadaceae), C-J Chen, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, K D Hill, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia and D W Stevenson, New York Botanical Garden, USA 6: Classification concepts in Encephalartos (Zamiaceae), P Vorster, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa 7: Classification concepts in Macrozamia (Zamiaceae) from eastern Australia, P I Forster, Queensland Herbarium, Australia 8: Classification concepts in Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae), L M Whitelock, California, USA 9: Relationships and phytogeography in Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae), A P Vovides, Instituto de Ecologiá, Mexico, et al. 10: A morphometric analysis of the Ceratozamia norstogii complex (Zamiaceae), M A Pérez-Farrera, UNICACH, Mexico, et al. 11: Hypotheses on the relationship between biogeography and speciation in Dioon (Zamiaceae), T J Gregory, Montgomery Botanical Center, Miami, USA and J Chemnick, California, USA 12: Molecular phylogeny of Zamia (Zamiaceae), P Caputo, Universitá degli Studi di Napoli, Fedrico II, Italy, et al. 13: Systematics of mesoamerican Zamia (Zamiaceae), B Schutzman, University of Florida, USA 14: Zamiaceae of Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, D W Stevenson, New York Botanical Gardens, USA 15: In search of the true tree: guidelines for classification, R Osborne and T Walters 16: The world list of cycads, K D Hill, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia, D W Stevenson, New York Botanical Gardens, USA and R Osborne 17: Glossary of terms encountered in cycad systematics, R Osborne and T Walters
