A century of research on heterostylous plants has passed
since the publication of Charles Darwin's book "The
Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species" in
1877 summarizing his extensive observations and experiments
on these complex breeding systems involving genetic
polymorphisms of floral sex organs. Since then heterostylous
plants have provided a rich source of material for
evolutionary biologists and today they represent one of the
classic research paradigms for approaches to the study of
evolution and adaptation. The present book is the first
modern and comprehensive accont of the subject. In 10
chapters it is concerned with the evolution, genetics,
development, morphology, and adaptive significance of
heterostyly. Broad syntheses of research on heterostyly as
well as new theoretical ideas and experimental data are
included.