Publisher's Synopsis
This book constitutes a reference work that systemizes and categorizes all known fern spores. The dominant feature of the work is 350 plates of electron micrographs, showing the morphological characteristics of typical representatives of each spore type. The purpose of the book is to provide a survey of the available data on the fine structure and composition, development and evolutionary significance of different types of spore walls which have proven resistant to fossilization throughout geological ages.;The book will be of great interest to all botanists and evolutionary biologists working with spores and/or ferns, but it will also be of importance to palaeobotanists, palynologists, stratigraphers and exploration geologists, since the focus of this treatise is on spores as highly adapted reproductive forms.
