New book reveals secrets of plant life and evolution!

New book reveals secrets of plant life and evolution!

On March 19, 2025, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz announced the publication of a new specialist book by former professor of biology, Dr. Regine Claßen-Bockhoff, was written. With the title "The Plant. Morphology, Development and Evolution of Diversity", this work fundamentally deals with the changes and developments in plant science.

The book aims to summarize, update and comprehensively illustrate basic plant morphological knowledge. It highlights the profound changes in the biological teaching and research landscape that have taken place since the “molecular revolution” of the 1990s. Plant morphology, one of the oldest disciplines within biology, is highlighted as an essential topic and its modern connections to evolutionary biology, phylogenetic systematics, ecology and developmental genetics are discussed.

Contents of the book

The main focus of Claßen-Bockhoff's book is on the developmental dynamics of plants. It is emphasized that plants grow, shed organs and regenerate them in a modified form throughout their life cycle. It also sheds light on the evolutionary mechanisms that enable plants to develop protective structures and chemical defenses to ensure their ability to survive. Aspects such as pollination and seed dispersal through colors, scents and attractants in flowering plants are also covered.

The reconstruction of the evolution of land plants, starting in the Silurian to present-day biodiversity, is supported by the inclusion of paleobotanical fossil finds. A central theme is cooperation in evolution and the crux of diversity as a survival factor. Staggered examples of the parallel development of vegetation bodies, organs, growth forms and reproductive systems illustrate the complexity of plant development.

The book is aimed at bachelor's and master's students in biology as well as teachers and those interested in plants. It goes beyond basic knowledge and covers current research priorities, with digressions in the text providing additional information and encouraging critical discussion. The publication took place at Springer Spektrum, where the book has been available since October 16, 2022. Students at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have the opportunity to download chapters or the entire e-book free of charge.

Importance of herbaria

In a broader context, herbaria are crucial for plant research. The LMU Munich (MSB) herbarium, founded in 1991, includes around 200,000 vascular plants, with a focus on flowering plants. One of the most important additions in 1991 was the private collection of Prof. Dr. Dietrich Podlech, which includes around 100,000 documents, especially from Afghanistan and North Africa.

A current focus is highlighted by the digitization of 1,371 of the 200,000 vouchers made available through platforms such as JSTOR Global Plants to date. These herbaria not only support plant identification and species documentation, but are also relevant to ecological research, nature conservation and cultural history.

Those interested and researchers have the opportunity to communicate with the herbaria of the Munich State Botanical Collection and the LMU in order to obtain valuable information from the extensive collection. The friendly contact is provided by Prof. Dr. Gudrun Kadereit, who acts as director at the MSB.

Overall, Claßen-Bockhoff's book and the work of the herbaria make a decisive contribution to deepening and expanding knowledge about plants, which is of great importance for future generations of botanists.