100 Red-Listed Medicinal Plants of Conservation Concern in Southern India

Contents: 1. Introduction. 2. Red listed medicinal plants described in this book. 3. Artificial key to species. 4. Species profile. 5. Glossary of botanical terms. 6. Glossary of medical terms. 7. Selected references. 8. Annexure. 9. Prioritisation and threat assessment of medicinal plants. 10. IUCN red list categories. 11. Threat status of red listed medicinal plants. 12. Sample taxon data sheets. 13. Addenda. 14. Index to family names. 15. Index to botanical names. 16. Index to vernacular names. 

From the foreword: "It is estimated that the people of India know of about 8000 medicinal plant species. The medicinal properties and applications of around 2000 of these are documented in a very sophisticated way in traditional medical texts of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Swa-Rigpa (Tibetan system). But on the remaining 6000 species there is very little documentation. The knowledge of these plants exists only in the oral traditions. In a very limited way, the oral traditions have been documented by ethnobotanists and medical anthropologists but from the medical point of view the documentation is rather sketchy. All the estimated 8000 species of medicinal plants however represent a national heritage and they certainly are a national resource. It is necessary for us to ensure their conservation if future generations are to continue to have access to them.    

In order to protect the medicinal plants of India, it is necessary to first identify them, study their natural distribution, assess their population status and then to take scientific measures to ensure their conservation and cultivation. It is specially important to do this for those plants that have already become rare, endangered and threatened and meet the criteria for red listing.

This book is perhaps the first botanical field guide of its kind on such red listed tropical medicinal plants of India."