Organization of the Text
A relatively conventional sequence of botanical subjects is included. Chapters 1 and 2 cover introductory and background information; Chapters 3 through 11 deal with structure and function; Chapters 12 and 13 introduce meiosis and genetics. Chapter 14 discusses plant propagation and biotechnology; Chapter 15 introduces evolution. Chapter 16 deals with classification; Chapters 17 through 23 stress, in phylogenetic sequence, the diversity of organisms traditionally regarded as plants, and Chapter 24 deals with ethnobotanical aspects and information of general interest pertaining to sixteen major families or groups of families. Chapters 25 and 26 present an overview of the vast topic of ecology, although ecological topics and applied botany are included in most of the preceding chapters as well. Some of these topics are broached in anecdotes that introduce the chapters, while others are mentioned in the ecological review summaries, in the human and ecological review sections, and in the extensive appendices.

Aids to the Reader
A chapter outline, review questions, discussion questions, learning online topics, and additional reading lists are provided for each chapter. New terms are defined as they are introduced, and those used more than once are boldfaced and included in a pronunciation glossary. Although scientific names are given in some instances, their use has been held to a minimum throughout the text. However, a list of the scientific names of all organisms mentioned throughout the text is given in Appendix 1. Appendix 2 deals with biological controls and companion planting. Appendix 3 includes wild edible plants, poisonous plants, medicinal plants, hallucinogenic plants, spices, tropical fruits, and natural dye plants. Appendix 4 gives horticultural information on house plants, along with brief discussions on how to cultivate vegetables. Nutritional value of the vegetables are included. Appendix 5 covers metric equivalents and conversion tables.