Kingdom of Plants: A Journey Through Their Evolution. Will Benson

Plant diversity underpins most life on Earth, including ours. Plants provide the oxygen for every breath we take. Think of our daily ingestion of water and food, staying healthy through medicines, living comfortably in buildings, the joys of music, reading, gardening, farming, growing trees and exploring nature.

This book reveals some of the wonders of the plant world, exploring scientific information on the evolution of plants, the wonder of flowering plants, their diverse form and function, and their vital place on Earth. Stories abound of plants having a profound impact on our planet throughout evolutionary history, right up to the present day of unprecedented global change.

It is thrilling for me to revisit this great journey in these pages, from the remarkable evolution of photosynthesis in primeval oceans to the great move onto land through the evolution of desiccation-tolerant plant bodies, pollen and seeds. Who could not marvel at the diversity of the world’s estimated 400,000 flowering plants? Few are not moved by the sheer beauty and intellectual challenge of understanding how such rampant life came to be. This book eloquently tells that story in an accessible up-to-date text.

For those whose interest is more excited by practical uses or the conduct of human affairs, there is much food for thought here as well. Apart from providing us with oxygen and moderating our climate, we learn that plants form a rich foundation for the web of life, and touch the lives of all people in every nation.

A special appeal of this book is its celebration of plant scientists and the insights they continue to bring. Charles Darwin devoted the best part of his last 20 years to the experimental study of plants, realising their value in illustrating evolution by natural selection, and publishing more books and journal pages on plants than on his more celebrated works in geology and zoology. Today, there are more plant scientists alive than ever before, and their discoveries in the field and laboratory are just as compelling.

Much remains to be done in the exploration of plant diversity. We are still discovering and naming 2000 new species of plant on Earth each year, from rainforest trees to colourful shrubs and orchids of temperate climates (especially in the southern hemisphere). Plant diversity unquestionably underpins human existence and livelihoods, yet we continue to destroy it at an alarming rate, with one in five plant species recently estimated to be under threat of extinction.

In our rapidly changing world, we are at a turning point for plant diversity. Without a fundamental shift towards more active conservation and the sustainable use of plants, our prospects for the future are grim indeed. Communicating this message in exciting and innovative ways to mass audiences remains essential. I am delighted that the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, has collaborated recently with Sir David Attenborough and Atlantic Productions in providing the plants and location for the astonishing series Kingdom of Plants 3D. I commend this programme and this beautifully produced book to all those who share a sense of wonder in plants and an appreciation of their central place in the lives of all on our one breathing planet.

Professor Stephen D. Hopper

Director (CEO & Chief Scientist)

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

April 2012

Kingdom of Plants 3D with David Attenborough

‘Watching flowers develop and insects visiting flowers is always wonderful to see, but in 3D it becomes transcendental. Seeing this happen in such depth gives you a most extraordinary, vivid impression. It’s unforgettable.’

- David Attenborough

To preview the Kingdom of Plants app, scan the code above, and embark on your own journey with David Attenborough as he uncovers the hidden realm of plants at Kew.

This book, which explores both the splendour and diversity of the world of plants, was written to accompany the landmark television series Kingdom of Plants 3D with David Attenborough, produced by Atlantic Productions for Sky3D. Using cutting-edge stereoscopic cinematography, this revolutionary 3D project follows David Attenborough in his 60th year of broadcasting, as he uncovers the most amazing spectacles of the botanical world. Filmed over one year at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this series captures time-lapse footage of flowers as they burst into bloom, captivating interactions between plants and insects in microscopic detail, as well as snapping carnivorous plants and mystifying orchids – all filmed for the first time in three dimensions. Discover how plants first began to live on land, and how they have come to fill their place in the natural world today.

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