Atlas of Botany

"A sumptuous reminder of the botanical wonders that have shared our planet for 500 million years.... Atlas of Botany is a great read and reference book for any gardener, naturalist, or armchair traveller." - HortWeek Travel through time and across the world to discover the enthralling, pragmatic, and downright devious strategies that plants deploy to adapt, survive, and thrive. Plants first emerged on a very different looking Earth 500 million years ago. As land masses moved, they were brought together in fierce competition with one another, or separated to continue their lives in very different conditions. On this evolutionary journey, plants developed ingenious strategies to disperse and extend their range, and increase their diversity. Plants populate almost every part of Earth's land surface - from tropical zones to cracks in city pavements - and have fundamentally shaped the natural regions of our planet. In a work of breathtaking narrative scope and visual mastery, Atlas of Botany maps the changing conditions and continents of the prehistoric world and the biomes of the modern one. Complex biology is transformed into clear, engaging text that explores how plants have overcome the challenges of survival, and describes the numerous ways in which they have interacted with pollinators and people along the way. In the pages of this sumptuous botanical book, you will discover: A unique blend of plant science, geography, nature, and human history that provides an unparalleled view of plant life on Earth The intricate and sometimes bizarre ways that plants have adapted to live almost everywhere A detailed understanding of where plants come from and the conditions in which they prefer to grow Produced in association with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh this beautiful book combines the best elements of gardening books, science books, and nature books - featuring exquisite botanical illustrations, detailed photography, and clear, concise explanations - to tell the story of how plants evolved and survived, and how they continue to thrive.