Rooted in Time: Living Fossils and Other Tenacious Plants

An intriguing portrait of persistent plants with deep roots that have survived eons on earth, featuring exquisite watercolors and numerous color photos.

Plants are tenacious organisms. Their green ancestors were among the earliest living beings on Earth, while clubmosses and ferns that arose 400 million years ago still thrive in the moist understory of temperate and tropical forests. Plants like these are considered "living fossils," as they have remained unchanged for hundreds of millions of years or are the sole survivors of their once diverse lineage. In Rooted in Time, paleobotanist Carole T. Gee shares stories of the remarkable plants that first appeared eons ago, yet still green the planet today.

This romp through the plant kingdom begins 3,500 million years ago, with the first photosynthesizing organisms on earth―the cyanobacteria. It then leads us down fascinating evolutionary paths to the ancient cousins of the evergreen wreaths on your own front door. Rooted in Time highlights more than eighteen plants with extreme longevity, exploring their botanical significance, cultural importance, natural history, and ethnobotanical usefulness. Between the plant vignettes, Gee explains how plants met the challenges of growing in new habitats and ecological niches by conquering life on land, evolving seeds and cones, and making flowers.

Rooted in Time pulls together facts from cutting-edge paleontological research and botanical science to offer engaging narratives on unique plants that grace our world with their quiet dignity and extraordinary longevity. Lavishly illustrated with more than a hundred color photos and exquisite watercolor portraits, this book will appeal to plant lovers at all levels―from avid gardeners and botanical garden enthusiasts to college students and plant science professionals.

Carole T. Gee is a paleobotanist, botanist, and associate professor of paleontology at the University of Bonn in Germany. She is the editor of Plants in Mesozoic Time: Morphological Innovations, Phylogeny, Ecosystems, and the lead editor of Fossilization: Understanding the Material Nature of Ancient Plants and Animals.

Channing Redford is an architect who studied botanical art and illustration at the New York Botanical Garden.