Systematische Botanik

The book provides an introduction to the systematics of plants (mosses, ferns, seed plants). The classification system presented here is based on current molecular phylogenetic studies. The important characteristics for each taxon are introduced and their significance for systematics is discussed. Within the individual groups, key native orders and families are presented, as well as relevant genera and species.

The 600 species included in the book correspond to the list of Certificate 600 from the Swiss Botanical Society; thus, the species of Certificate 200 and Certificate 400 are also implicitly included. The book also covers most of the general knowledge required for Certificate 600 in field botany.

In addition to systematic, morphological, and ecological aspects, applied aspects are also considered (e.g., food plants, medicinal plants). Since the focus is on the native flora, non-native taxa are only addressed where necessary for understanding the systematics. A detailed chapter is dedicated to site parameters and presents the main vegetation types found at different altitudes. The index with keywords and scientific plant names at the end of the book facilitates the finding of topics and taxa.