Seeds: Time Capsules of Life

"Who would have thought that a book about seeds could be a stunning work of art? ... Anyone who believes that life and art are inseparable will want to purchase this book immediately." -- Choice

The publication of the first edition of Seeds broke new ground by melding art and science in a beautiful yet authoritative examination of the design and function of seeds. This new edition contains 60 spectacular new photographs published here for the first time. In addition, the book contains a fully updated chapter about the Millennium Seed Bank Project and its recent acquisitions.

Microphotographs and detailed cutaway images reveal the intricate architecture of pods, pouches, keys and nuts of various sizes, from minute to relatively enormous. Concise text explains their formation and maturation and describes the clever dispersal methods that set off each plant's reproduction cycle. Literary references and early botanical illustrations complement the scientific perspective and create a comprehensive collection of data.

This new edition of Seeds, with its new images and updated text, is truly remarkable and will be welcomed by botanists, serious gardeners and collectors of unusual art.

Rob Kesseler is a visual arts professor and artist. Since 2001 he has been working with microscopic plant material at London's Royal Botanic Gardens.

Wolfgang Stuppy is a seed morphologist for the Millennium Seed Bank at London's Royal Botanic Gardens. His work furthers the bank's efforts to safeguard 24,000 plant species from around the globe.