![]() ![]() Instead, they are arranged alphabetically, by scientific name: from Agave spp. Probably wisely, the 50 plants featured (which, with one exception – the ferns – are all flowering plants) are not ranked in order of importance. And all aspects of that ancient – but enduring – association are covered in the book's 224 pages. In using the term ‘symbiosis’ I am mindful that it covers a wide range of interactions, from parasitism to mutualism, which embraces the variety of ways in which Mankind has used – and abused – the plant ‘resource’. Well, Bill Laws' Fifty plants that changed the course of history (hereafter referred to as 50 Plants) certainly does that! Is it justified? I think so: Manners may maketh Man, but plants and our symbiotic relationship with them have arguably made Mankind what it is today. There's nothing like making a bold claim to grab one's attention. ![]()
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