Flowering Plants of Tamil Nadu A Compendium

About this book

Language: English

Flowering Plants of Tamil Nadu: A Compendium is a comprehensive checklist of angiosperms distributed in the southernmost Indian state and includes 6723 taxa, including both wild and cultivated species. Funded by the National Biodiversity Authority, the Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Board, and a few well-wishers, this richly illustrated book has more than 1400 colour images. With a diverse landscape, topography, and forest types in the state, the arduous task of compiling the data of flowering plants was truly a passionate, productive, and a purposeful endeavour.

The book encompasses details on the nomenclature, family, habit, flowering seasons and other pertinent information about the commercial, medicinal and horticultural significance of the species. Their distribution on global, national and regional levels has also been listed for better understanding their phytochorionomic status. English and Tamil names, some existing and others freshly coined, provide a platform for a convincing integration into the local parlance of reference.

This compendium deals with a total of 225 families, with Fabaceae the most species-rich family, followed by Poaceae, Asteraceae, Rubiaceae, and Orchidaceae. Euphorbia is the most species-rich genus in Tamil Nadu, followed by Impatiens, Cyperus, Crotalaria, and Fimbristylis. The largest number of endemics in the state belongs to Cyperaceae. The globally followed APG IV classification has been adhered to in this compendium.

A visually and verbally collated reference book, this compendium is sure to benefit taxonomists, botanists, naturalists, foresters, students, teachers, and policymakers in their understanding and appreciation of the state's floristic wealth and also to assist in drafting policies for their conservation and protection.

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