BRITISH PLANT LIFE. By W.B. Turrill. New Naturalist No. 10.

(1948) 1962 3rd edition. 8vo (154 x 222mm). Ppxviii,315. Colour and b/w photograph plates, b/w line illustrations, maps and bibliography. Green buckram.

"In the broad sense, the British flora can be regarded as an offshoot of that of the European continent. The influence of geographical position and geographical history has, however, resulted in distinct peculiarities, and, above all, there have been the modifications produced by the last great Ice Age. How much was destroyed and how much survived this catastrophe is discussed by Dr. Turrill. The various routes of migration are traced as far as possible and the changes in climate and the advent of man are shown to have led to profound alterations in the flora". Still essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the nature of the British environment and its flora. Chapters include; introduction to the study of British plants; the very beginning; the rise of land plants; the Ice Age and its influence on the British flora; post-glacial floristic changes; the present composition of the British flora; the geographical relationships of our flora; the habitat factors of British plants; plant communities, their development and modifications; variation; adaptation and natural selection; the study of heredity in British plants; continuing changes in British plant life; review, conclusions and the future. A number of appendices give, a list of vice-counties, taxonomic methods, biometrics, ecological methods, cytology (basic outline), genetics (basic outline), the more importnat county and local floras.