TY - BOOK AU - Smith,P.P. AU - Barstow,Megan AU - Beech,Emily AU - O'Donnell,Katherine AU - Murphy,Lydia AU - Oldfield,Sara TI - The book of seeds: a life-size guide to six hundred species from around the world SN - 9780226362236 AV - SB118 .S65 2018 PY - 2018/// CY - Chicago PB - The University of Chicago Press KW - Seeds KW - Identification KW - Pictorial works N1 - Includes indexes; Includes bibliographical references and index; What is a seed? -- How did seed plants evolve? -- Seeds & humans -- Seed conservation -- Plant diversity & why it matters -- Seed-bearing plants -- Cycadophyta -- Ginkgophyta & gnetophyta -- Pinophyta -- Magnoliophyta N2 - "The Book of Seeds takes readers through six hundred of the world's seed species, revealing their extraordinary beauty and rich diversity. Each page pairs a beautifully composed photo of a seed -- life-size, and, in some cases, enlarged to display fine detail-- with a short description, a map showing distribution, and information on conservation status. The whole spectrum of seeds is covered here. There are prolific species like corn and less widely distributed species, like the brilliant blue seeds of the traveler's palm or the bird of paradise flower, aptly named for its distinctive orange coiffure. There are tiny seeds and seeds weighing up to forty pounds. And while seeds in all their shapes, sizes, and colors grant us sustenance, there are even some we would be wise to treat with caution, such as the rosary pea, whose seeds are considered more toxic than ricin."--Jacket ER -