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Higher Plant Diversity

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Global Biodiversity

Abstract

The higher plants, characterised by vascular tissue and reproducing either by spores, cones, or flowers, dominate the world’s flora and vegetation. Along with the bryophytes (Chapter 7), they develop from an embryo resulting from the sexual fusion of cells. They consist of three groups:

  • the pteridophytes or ferns and fern allies, such as clubmosses, horsetails, quillworts and whiskferns

  • the gymnosperms, mainly the conifers and cycads

  • the angiosperms or flowering plants.

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Authors

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Brian Groombridge

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© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Akeroyd, J., Synge, H. (1992). Higher Plant Diversity. In: Groombridge, B. (eds) Global Biodiversity. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2282-5_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2282-5_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5012-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-2282-5

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