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Fruits
as you have never seen them before... incredible shapes and textures
that offer a rare insight into a fascinating and mysterious world.
Paul Eccleston, The Daily Telegraph
Fruit.
The word conjures up mouthwatering memories of crunchy apples, luscious
strawberries, sweet bananas, succulent melons and juicy pineapples. The
well-travelled will also recall the splendid cornucopia of tropical
fruits that thrive in the warmer climes of our planet and have now
conquered supermarket shelves all over the world. A wonderful gift from
nature indeed but providing us with an abundant source of food is not
the main reason that plants produce such delicious fruits. We all know
that many fruits are not edible and that some are even poisonous. It is
therefore quite legitimate to ask what fruits are and why they exist.
As
will be revealed, fruits are part of a much more elaborate plot. Their
true nature is concealed in what is buried in their core: their seeds.
Seeds are the most sophisticated and precious organs produced by plants
in that they bear the next generation. Fruits and seeds together are
responsible for the successful reproduction and dispersal of the
species. The key role that fruits and seeds play in the survival of
each species explains the manifold dispersal strategies that plants
have developed during the course of their evolution. The strategies
they pursue, whether they involve wind, water, humans and animals or
the plant's own explosive triggers, are reflected in a plethora of
different colours, sizes and shapes. Some are edible, some inedible,
and many quite incredible!
About the Authors:
Wolfgang
Stuppy is the seed morphologist for the Millennium Seed Bank Project at
the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. At the heart of this large
international project, which collects and stores seeds and fruits from
all over the world, Dr. Stuppy has found the ideal environment to feed
his passion for research into the astonishing diversity of seeds and
fruits.
Rob Kesseler is a professor at Central Saint Martins
College of Art & Design. He has a long career of working with
plants as a source of inspiration for his work. In 2001 he was
appointed NESTA Fellow at Kew, where he has since been working with
microscopic plant material. His work has been shown in museums and
galleries in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Press:
The Daily Telegraph click here
BBC News click here
The Guardian click here
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