Synopsis "A Monograph of the Genus Geranium l Geraniaceae"
This long awaited monograph deals with the fascinating group of plants known as geraniums or cranesbills. It is restricted to the plantscovered by the scientific name Geranium, but does not includethose plants known in English as ?geranium? which botanists havetransferred to the genus Pelargonium. The book is the result of 28 years of research by the author. It is lavishly illustrated withmaps, line drawings and photographs.
There is a gap in theavailable botanical literatura covering the geraniums. The lastmonographic treatment by Reinhard Knuth appeared in 1912. In theintervening years, much taxonomic information has been accumulated,rendering this massive and comprehensive work out of date. There havebeen many new species discoveries and much research has been conducted for revisional works. All these changes have caused much confussionto the outsider, making the need for a comprehensive monograph evenmore pressing.
For each of the 307 species covered in thisbook, complete synonymy and detailed description is given, as well asits distribution, relationships, variability and taxonomic history are discussed. Each species is provided with a map showing its knowndistribution based on specimens examined by the author, and isillustrated with line drawings and, if available, with colourphotographs based on reliable specimens. Some introductory sectionsexplain in detail the morphological structure of these plants,chromosome numbers, breeding system, phytochemistry, distribution,habitats and relationships. For practical reasons and to facilitatethe identification of the species, four identification keys have beenprepared that cover respectively North and Central America, SouthAmerica, the Pacific area and the Old World species. This book will be of value to botanists, but also for specialists hobbyists and toanyone fascinated by these plants.
