Tarweeds & Silverswords: Evolution of the Madiinae (Asteraceae)

Tarweeds and silverswords of the Madiinae represent singular examples of adaptive radiation and speciation: they show us plants evolving first to meet the diverse environments of the California Floristic Province, and colonizing later the islands of Hawaii. This book introduces the student to the Madiinae. Included are the phylogeny and taxonomy of the Madiinae and modern analysis of their macro and micro evolution as well as molecular investigations. Also profiled are their anatomies of leaf and wood. Reviews: Anyone interested in plants and evolution, from advanced undergraduate to seasoned faculty, should have a copy on his, her bookshelf. The book would be ideal for a one semester seminar at the upper level undergraduate and graduate levels....The Missouri Botanical Garden is to be commended for publishing this scholarly volume. Daniel Crawford American Journal of Botany, Vol. 90, No. 7 July 2003 The book will stimulate new research efforts along with being an important reference for conservation biologists looking to secure a better future for Silverswords in Hawaii... The editors, authors, and MBGP are to be commended for bringing this excellent work to publication...This book comes highly recommended... Thane Johnson Library News For Zoos and Aquariums June 2003 The reader will find this account approachable and fascinating: the authors and editors are definitely to be congratulated for an outstanding job of analysis and presentation. Each chapter encapsulates the most up-to-date knowledge available about some aspect of the group, each by a botanist representing the acme of his or her respective discipline... This book synthesizes what has been learned over the past 75 years about the tarweeds and opens the doors to decades of additional productive research. It is truly outstanding! Peter H. Raven Foreword, Tarweeds and Silverswords January 2003