This atlas gives a unique assemblage of microscopic slides of wood anatomy and of the respective species in nature and demonstrates the reaction of stem anatomy to environments in which plants form woody stems. It is presented in color throughout and has more than 700 beautiful and instructive illustrations. It provides insight into the evolution of wood, to the variation of wood anatomy in response to climate and disturbances, and it gives an introduction to the methodology used to study wood. Special attention has been given to the unique feature of secondary growth. This occurs in annuals as well as in thousand-year-old living plants and it is the base for the observed large morphological and physiological diversity of woody species. The aesthetic and perfect functional structures in the anatomical slides and the pictures of the studied species are accentuated by the appealing design of the book.