蕨类植物的秘密生活

by Robbin C. Moran, 罗宾·C. 莫兰, 武玉东 (Translator)

蕨类植物是一类特殊类型的植物，它们和种子植物不同，不依靠种子而是靠孢子繁殖。正因如此，它们的成长周期中存在两个世代，有着两种形态。蕨类植物的栖息范围广泛，从热带一直到极地都有；蕨类植物的种类也极其多样，除了生长于地面，还有攀爬或附生在树上，以及本身就是大树形态的蕨类；有些蕨类有毒，有些颜色艳丽，有些蕨类能在如沙漠般的炎热和干旱中死而复生。在这本综合了蕨类植物的生活史、分类学、适应性、地理学及生态学、演化历史的书中，作者还强调了蕨类植物和人类的关系——文学和电影中扮演的角色，以及蕨类植物名字的由来。

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Plants, Gardening, Science, Science Nature

339 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2004

Reviews

[Jennifer Hallock · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only complaint with this book was that I was not smart enough to understand the really science-y parts—but the beauty of the book is that you can skip those sentences here and there and still get a really strong understanding of the range, beauty, usefulness, and latest research on ferns. The author has a fantastic ability to translate complex ideas into simple analogies and clear language. All science books should be this good—I might not have gone into the humanities!

[Ben Erlandson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-curated collection of essays by the author, exploring many aspects of the world of ferns. This is one of those books where the reader learns much more across a broad topic area than expected. A pleasant surprise. Be ready to take lots of notes. :)

[Judy Dobles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning a lot from this book.

[Saphira Bloom-Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really nice collection of short chapters covering all aspects of ferns.