A Compendium of Fungi on Legumes from India

Contents: 1. Introduction. 2. List of fungi occuring on leguminaceous hosts. 3. References. 4. Fungus index. 5. Host index.

From the intrduction: "In India the family is represented by about 1045 species under 145 genera. Out of such a vast variety of legume species, only about 100-150 are introduced into cultivation and hardly 20 species are used extensively (1047). However, during the present documenting it was noticed that only about 448 species among 107 genera are colonized by fungi. According to old concept, the Family Leguminosae includes three sub-families viz. Papilionaceae, Caesalpineae and Mimosae. However, the recent taxonomic concept shows that these are now considered as three distinct families and are named as Fabaceae, Caesalpiniaceae and Mimosaceae. In the present treatment the old, general term "Legume" is considered and used accepting the old family concept of Fam. Leguminosae.

"Any Compendium of such a nature is always useful and serves the basic purpose of providing access and ready references to important scientific and taxonomic literature on the subject within the defined scope. The present Index has been prepared in alphabetical sequence of the host-plants. The host names appear as quoted by the original authors as appeared in the original references. Also an attempt is being made to indicate currently acepted name changes following Bennet (95). Under each host, the fungi have been recorded alphabetically with their authorities. Names of hosts and pathogens have been given as accurately as possible or otherwise what has been recorded by the original authors. This is followed by places of occurrence (i.e. distribution), with serial numbers of the literature citations (from the bibliography) in parenthesis.

The Compendium therefore contains four main parts such as:

1. Photographs or illustrations of important and/or interesting diseases/pathogens (distributed in four plates).

2. List of Fungi occurring on legume hosts, the host names being arranged alphabetically, alongwith relevant reference number and remarks at many places such as: "common" or "general distribution", "rare", "serious disease", "powdery mildew", "saprobe" etc. to indicate the type and significnace of the diesease.

3. Full references listed alpha-numerically and numbered serially under bibliography.

4. Fungus Index and Host Index.

It is felt and hoped that such an exhaustive Index of Fungal records of many Important Plant-hosts of the Family Leguminosae will prove useful and worthy as a "Reference Manual" besides a source of wealth of information on the subject matter. This would be very useful to students, research workers as well as to those associated with forestry, gardening, agricultural extension services etc. This should prove of interest to amateurs, professionals and gardeners engaged in related fields.