Conifers are the most diverse, interesting, beautiful trees in the
world, so why is it that our gardens are home to so few species?
Part of the reason lies in their economic importance which, by
focusing attention on relatively few species, has limited our
understanding of one of the most remarkable plant groups on earth.
Leading expert Aljos Farjon provides a broader perspective with
this compelling narrative that observes conifers from the
standpoint of the curious naturalist. It starts with the basic
question of what conifers are and continues to explore their
evolution, taxonomy, ecology, distribution, human uses, and issues
of conservation. As the story unfolds many popular misconceptions
are dispelled, such as the notion that all conifers have cones
(untrue), and the extraordinary diversity of conifers begins to
dawn as Farjon describes the diminutive creeping shrub
"Microcachrys tetragona," whose strange seed cones resemble
raspberries, and the prehistoric-looking "Araucaria meulleri," The
taxonomic diversity of conifers is huge and Farjon goes on to
relate how, over the course of three 300 million years, these trees
and shrubs have adapted to survive geological upheavals, climatic
extremes, and formidable competition from flowering plants.
Scarcely less remarkable is his explanation of how conifers, with
only 627 species, grew to occupy every continent on earth ranging
from the high latitudes to the tropics. This illuminating review
will fascinate plant lovers who wish to discover the extraordinary
relatives of ordinary garden conifers, natural historians, who will
relish seeing conifers reviewed in a broad context, and all who
seek to learn more about the early history oflife on our planet.
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