Foreword

Peter Crane FRS

Plants are the foundation of human existence. They are our indispensible companions on this singular planet in the vastness of space. Our species evolved against a changing backdrop of forests and grasslands, and our bodies are shaped by millions of years of interactions with plants. Today, plants remain the ultimate source of all the chemical energy on which our day-to-day existence depends. And make no mistake, the present and future of all of humanity depends on the continuing miracle of photosynthesis, which provides food for us all.

Yet plants, with no voice of their own, are easy to take for granted. The direct connections between people and plants that once shaped all human lives are now obscured by the rise of modernity. Our specialized lifestyles push plants to the background, and with more than half of all people now living in cities, the lives of plants can seem increasingly remote.

This fascinating and richly illustrated book reintroduces us to the world of plants and the intricacies of their existence, including how they live, grow and reproduce. It is an intimate, close-up portrait that deepens our understanding of the commonplace and the exotic. At the same time, it reveals the beauty of plants in new ways. The diversity of plants is brought to life through exemplars that engage, and through insights that enrich. To borrow a phrase from Darwin, there is grandeur in this view of plants. I am sure you will enjoy it.

Even the smallest plants appear striking when highly magnified. The most widespread form of the common liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha ssp. ruderalis), found in man-made or disturbed habitats, has colourful scales that provide protection to its growing tips.

The foliage of ferns grows and unfurls in a characteristic shape, called a ‘crozier’ because of its resemblance to the head of the staff carried as a symbol of office by a bishop. The small scales covering its surface provide protection as the frond grows.