Review

The recent surge of interest in plants growing over serpentine is reflected in a spate of papers on the subject, so much so that it is difficult to keep track of what has been published. The present volume is an attempt in that direction. Both editors can glory in a long career of research on serpentine plants. The term serpentine is often used to denote a wide range of ultramafic rocks which are characterized by high concentrations of toxic heavy metals (Cr, Co, Ni), high Fe and Mg and low Ca and Si concentrations. The vegetation growing on serpentine often shows a striking contrast with surrounding vegetations on different soils. The stature is mostly low, xeromorphic structures prevail and floristic diversity is usually low, although endemism may be quite high.