It helped form the modern evolutionary synthesis , and still provides the framework for research in plant evolutionary biology . According to Ernst Mayr , `` Few later works dealing with the evolutionary systematics of plants have not been very deeply affected by Stebbins ' work '' . It is regarded as one of the main publications which formed the core of the modern evolutionary synthesis and still provides the conceptual framework for research in plant evolutionary biology ; according to Ernst Mayr , `` Few later works dealing with the evolutionary systematics of plants have not been very deeply affected by Stebbins ' work . ''