The Story of Leaves

The Story of Leaves is a popular natural history book centered on leaves. British dendrologist Dan Crowley and Douglas Justice, associate director of the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden in Canada, have selected 50 representative tree species from over a thousand worldwide and tell the story of their leaves one by one. The book is organized by theme: from "Marvellous Chemistry," which determines leaf color and scent, to "Shapeshifters," where leaf form changes with developmental stage; from "Working Plants" such as teak, pandanus, and traveller's palm to "Strange, So Strange" irregular leaves like those of the dwarf golden oak, false arborvitae, and kaffir lime; from the "Impenetrable Defences" of the giant stinging tree, lacquer tree, and Chilean pine to the "Extraordinary Qualities" of the bodhi tree, giant magnolia, dawn redwood, and ginkgo. The final two chapters focus on the "Intimate Relationships" between leaves and insects and animals, and on trees such as plane, quaking aspen, and lacebark that "Define the Landscape." The book explains chemical and physiological mechanisms such as chlorophyll, terpenoids, and methylation, and also covers practical uses of leaves in shelter, medicine, rope-making, flavoring, and landscaping, interwoven with historical anecdotes and cultural symbolism related to leaves. The Chinese edition is translated by Zhang Xue, PhD in genetics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and reviewed by Mo Haibo, a science communicator at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and includes numerous full-color illustrations. The authors also remind readers that at least a quarter of the world's tree species are threatened with extinction, and that the story of leaves is likewise an invitation to cherish them.