The Kew Review Conifers of the World

Abstract

When a natural group of plants has over many years been comprehensively and intensively studied, a large body of data, analysis and evaluation has accumulated. It is in the nature of such work on the taxonomy of such a group that this information is to be found scattered in various publications, such as research papers, checklists, monographs, Floras and other compilations. As time and research progress, some of this information will become outdated and superseded by new publications, but other information remains current and valuable. To give a review of this can provide us not only with a guide to this resource, but also with an introduction to the group in question. It may stimulate new research, as inevitably we will find that all has not been said and done, even about a group so well studied as the conifers. I hope that this paper will meet these aims.