Introduction
The Incredible Life of Plants
Precious dust
The difference between pollen, spores and seed
Those who copulate in secret • No match for a seed
An invisible microcosm • Apertures • Finding the other half
Pollination by wind and water • Pollination by animals
Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder • The insect
pollination syndrome • Bee flowers • Butterfly and moth flowers
Flies and beetles as pollinators • The bird pollination syndrome
The bat pollination syndrome • Typical bat flowers
Exotic pollinators • The advantages of animal pollination
Fruits and Seeds
What is a fruit and what is a vegetable? • The true nature of fruits
The various ways to get around • Wind dispersal • Seeds like dust
Masterpieces of Nature • Indirect wind dispersal
Water dispersal • Rafters and sailors • Sea beans
The biggest seed in the world • Explosive strategies
Animal couriers • Tenacious hitchhikers • Caltrops, devil’s claws
and other sadistic fruits • Reward rather than punishment
Small rewards for little helpers • Juicy temptations
Colourful appendages • Fraudsters of the plant kingdom
The everlasting beauty of plants
Phytopia
The ‘Making Of ’ Wonders of the Plant Kingdom:
How Science Becomes Art
The Millennium Seed Bank:
The World’s Largest Plant Conservation Initiative
Appendices
Glossary • Bibliography • Index
Acknowledgments • Picture Credits