Review by Choice Review
A comprehensive and technical accounting of many biological and physical facets of that interesting and critical part of the life cycle of higher plants-the seed. The monograph covers reproductive strategies in plants, predispersal hazards, dispersal, soil seed banks, dormancy, germination, seedling establishment, and regeneration and diversity. Each of the 8 chapters is well written and up to date. Although a 131-page summary cannot give a complete picture, Fenner's book certainly provides the major highlights one might expect in the life history of this highly complex combination of parental cells and tissues; a shortcoming is the lack of basic physiological data supporting many of the author's points. The book is strengthened by numerous tables and figures, and a very liberal listing of references. The index, however, is sparse. Recommended for college and university biology collections.-T.K. Scott, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
