NEW BOOK: FLORA OF INDIA VOLUME 6: FABACEAE (LEGUMINOSAE), PART 1

Stephen Boatwright (University of the Western Cape, South Africa)

Sanjappa, M., P.K. Pulsalkar, A.A. Mao (Eds.). 2024. Flora of India – Volume 6, Part I. Botanical Survey of India, Culcutta.

It is well known that India is a region of spectacular biodiversity, boasting in excess of 45 000 plant species and hosting two global biodiversity hotspots within its borders. The Flora of India (1993–present) is the culmination of a long history of botanical exploration and dissemination in the region. Detailed information on the region and its flora is available in the introductory volumes published in 1996 and 2000:

• Hajra, P.K., B.D. Sharma, M. Sanjappa and A.R.K. Sastry (Eds.), with assistance from M. Gangopadhyay and T. Chakrabarty. 1996. Flora of India – Introductory Volume, Part I. Botanical Survey of India, Culcatta.

• Singh, N.P., D.K. Singh, P.K. Hajra and B.D. Sharma (Eds.), with assistance from J.R. Sharma and B.P. Uniyal. 2000. Flora of India – Introductory Volume, Part II. Botanical Survey of India, Culcatta.

The first volume enumerating the species of the family Fabaceae was published in March 2024, as volume 6 part 1 in the flora series. It covers the subfamilies Cercidoideae, Detarioideae, Dialioideae, Caesalpinioideae and Papilionoideae (Genistoids). It consists of 681 pages, with 125 colour plates and 53 line drawings, and will make the species from India more accessible to legume researchers across the world, and serve as a framework for future research on this hyper-diverse flora.

Flora of India volume 6 part 1 is available from the Natural History Book Service website.