mental evidence, even if it is sometimes conflicting. They have tried to strike a balance 

 between classical and recent findings, and this is reflected in the bibliography. 



The book is clearly attuned to the requirements of horticultural students and conse- 

 quently contains little information on the embryo, meristems, plant tissue and cell 

 culture, and regeneration. Part II has a brief chapter on polarity and differentiation, whUe 

 the chapters in part III deal with germination and dormancy, maturation and senescence, 

 flowering, fruiting, and tubers and bulbs. 



The book is attractively produced and very well illustrated. 



16. 



E. THOMAS and M. R. DAVEY. 1975. FROM SINGLE CELLS TO PLANTS 



Wykeham, London. The Wykeham Science Series. XVI, 171 pp., 59 figs., 7 tabs., taxono- 



mic and subject indexes. £ 2.50 (paper), $ 7.20 (cloth) 



This book was written primarily for beginning students but is so comprehensive that it 

 may also be of use to more advanced students. It is a well-organised and critical survey of 

 the whole field of plant tissue and cell culture (including morphogenesis //; vitro and the 

 culture of isolated protoplasts and haploid cells). Much emphasis is placed on technical 

 and methodological aspects, while a final chapter discusses unsolved problems in relation 

 to technical difficulties and prospects for the future. 



The book is profusely illustrated, particularly with well-chosen photographs (whose 

 reproduction is however not always optimal). The literature references are restricted to a 

 brief reading list. 



Monographs 



17. 



H. N. KRISHNAMOORTHY, ed. 1975. GIBBERELLINS AND PLANT GROWTH 



Wiley Eastern, New Delhi. XVI, 356 pp., 65 figs., 42 tabs., author and subject indexes. 



£5.25, $ 10.50 



Contributors: Barendse,Chen, Crozier, Ecklund, Fletcher, Kaufman, Krishnamoorthy, 

 Low, Mann, Moore, Reeve, Corcoran, Russell, Shininger, Valdovinos 



This is the first reference work on gibberelUns in the English language. It was written 

 by a team of specialists from all over the globe, and in 13 chapters covers every 

 conceivable aspect from the chemistry and biosynthesis of gibberellins through their 

 morphological and physiological effects to their mechanism of action and their antago- 

 nists. 



The chapters are well organised and adequately cross-referenced. Evidently the book 

 has taken considerable time to produce for in most chapters the literature is no more 

 recent than about 1972; only three chapters have been updated by means of addenda. 



The standard of production is very reasonable and the price surprisingly low. If only 

 the process of production could be speeded up, publishing in India could become very 

 attractive. 



18. 



D. VINCE-PRUE. 1975. PHOTOPERIODISM IN PLANTS 



McGraw-Hill, London, etc. XIV, 444 pp., 116 figs., 67 tabs', combined taxonomic and 



subject index. £ 9,95 



The transition from the vegetative to the reproductive state in plants is a dramatic 

 switch in developmental pathway that is under the (often absolute) control of an 

 environmental trigger (daylength) and is of considerable importance to developmental 

 biology generally. This book is a competent, well-organised and judiciously selective 

 survey of this complicated and confusing topic. 



183 



