''The Genus Utricularia: A Taxonomic Monograph'' is a

monograph A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject. In library cataloging, ''monograph ...

by Peter Taylor on the

carnivorous plant Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryot ...

genus '' Utricularia'', the bladderworts. It was published in 1989 by Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) as the fourteenth entry in the ''Kew Bulletin Additional Series''. It was reprinted for

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. An internationally important botanical research and education institution, it employs 1,100 ...

in 1994.

Background

Taylor's monograph represented the culmination of 41 years of research,Lowrie, A. 2002. ''Nuytsia'' 14(3): 405–410.McPherson, S. R. 2010. ''Carnivorous Plants and their Habitats''. 2 volumes. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole. which included numerous field trips and herbarium visits (Taylor observed 90 species in habitat and estimated he had examined more than 50,000 herbarium specimens). More than 900 ''Utricularia'' taxon names had to be considered for the revision, the vast majority of which proved to be

synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

.Fleischmann, A. 2012. The new ''Utricularia'' species described since Peter Taylor's monograph. '' Carnivorous Plant Newsletter'' 41(2): 67–76.

Content

Taylor recognised 214 species, which he classified into two subgenera and 35 sections. No

infraspecific taxa In botany, an infraspecific name is the scientific name for any taxon below the rank of species, i.e. an infraspecific taxon or infraspecies. (A "taxon", plural "taxa", is a group of organisms to be given a particular name.) The scientific names ...

were recognised. Each species was illustrated with a full-page line drawing created by the author and inked in by Sue Hillier. Taylor's species list and classification are now generally accepted with some additions of newly described taxa and modifications based on phylogenetic studies.

Reviews

The book was well received and in particular praised for its scope and comprehensiveness.Schnell, D. 1990. Special book review. '' Carnivorous Plant Newsletter'' 19(2): 51–52.Cook, C. D. K. 1991. Book reviews: ''The genus Utricularia - a taxonomic monograph''. ''Kew Bulletin'' 46(1): 183–185. Donald Schnell reviewed the work for the March 1990 issue of the '' Carnivorous Plant Newsletter'':

Some may think me guilty of hyperbole after the following statement, but after careful consideration, I judge this to be the CP book publication event since Lloyd in 1942.
After forty years of backbreaking, sometimes heartbreaking, excruciatingly detailed and careful study of the genus ''Utricularia'' by this author, frequently working on his own time into nights and weekends, this is what we have been waiting for. The meticulous balance and perspective of studying many thousands of herbarium specimens and living plants ''in situ'' throughout the world range are all here. In a foreword, Kew Gardens Director Ghillean Prance notes that here we have the unusual complete taxonomic study (nowadays) of a large and complex genus, but also a genus which is global in extent.

..the book is soft cover but strongly manufactured. Paper and printing are excellent as is the line drawing and halftone work. There is a complete bibliography and index. I find the author's writing style to be particularly refreshing nthese days of stilted academic conformity.

..I can recommend this book without reservation, and it should be in the personal library of all serious CP students, especially those who are working with utricularias at all.

In a 1991 issue of the '' Kew Bulletin'', Christopher D. K. Cook wrote of Taylor's monograph: "It is no disappointment. It is an admirable work that will remain the standard account for many years." James L. Luteyn of the New York Botanical Garden also gave a positive appraisal in '' Brittonia'': "Forty years of love and devotion are reflected in this marvelous tome by the world's authority on bladderworts." But he added: "Two comments on the down side are that the specimen citations are restricted mostly to the types, and that the cover (in my copy) became unglued after I reviewed it." Luteyn, J. L. 1991. ''The genus Utricularia - a taxonomic monograph''. ''Brittonia'' 43(1): 68.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Genus Utricularia Carnivorous plant literature 1989 non-fiction books