FIora of Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve [India] gives a detailed account of the mangrove, mangrove associated and back mangrove flora of the Indian Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve.
Sunderbans, one of the biosphere reserves in India, is the largest contiguous mangrove patch (along with Bangladesh) on the globe with an area of 25,500 km2, of which the Indian part is about 9630 km2. The vegetation of the Sunderbans drew the attention of many great scientists from the remote past. But, there is no publication dealing with the entire flora of the indian Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve, except the floristic study by Sir David Prain (1903).
In the Flora of the Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve (India), a total of 964 angiosperm plant species have been documented which have been noted from an area between the Durnpier & Hodges Line to the Core Zone. in addition to the mangroves and mangrove associated plants, non-mangrove (littoral) plants mainly from the transition zone of this biosphere reserve have also been described in this publication. ln this systematic enumeration of taxa, the arrangement of families has been followed principally according to Bentham & Hooker's System of Classification of Angiosperms (1862-1883). Short descriptions of plant species with key characters, their vernacular names, author citation, and flowering and fruiting season are given in this publication along with key to the Families, genera and species for easy identification. This flora will provide essential information to all people from different corners of life interested in the plant wealth of the Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve and serve as a field guide book for identifying the plants wealth of Indian Sunderbans.