Contents: Foreword. Preface. Introduction. Literature Review. Study Area. Methodology. I. The Order Asterinales. 1. Key to the families of the order Asterinales. 2. The Family Asterinaceae. 3. Key to the genera of the family Asterinaceae. 4. Key to the species of Asterinaceae. II. Taxonomic Description. 1. The genus Asterina. 2. The genus Asterolibertia. 3. The genus Ishwaramyces. 4. The genus Meliolaster. 5. The genus Prillieuxina. 6. The genus Symphaster. 7. The genus Trichasterina. 8. The genus Vishnumyces. III. The Family Lembosiaceae.  Key tio the genera of the Lembosiaceae. Key to the species of Lembosiaceae. 9. The genus Cirsosia. 10. The genus Echidnodella. 11. The genus Echidnodes. 12. The genus Eupelte. 13. The genus Lembosia. 14. The genus Maheshwaramyces. Key to the anamorphic genera. Key to the anamorphic species. 15. The genus Asterostomella. 16. The genus Bramhamyces. 17. The genus Mahanteshmyces. References.

The authors of the book Asterinales of Kerala have been engaged in the study of Meliolales since the last three decades and this is the result of their stupendous effort. The book gives a brief introduction followed by the characters of the order Meliolales, key to the families and genera. Key to all the species are dealt and placed under their respective alphabetically arranged host families and the fungal genera, synoptic characters of an individual taxon by denoting the name of the spsecies or infra specific taxa. In the descriptive part, the genus with its synonyms, if any, generic description and its type species, schematic representation of the genus in the form of line drawings, followed by its corresponding species is given. The description of each species is nothing but a prologue, carefully re-written in accordance with the Hansford’s  Monograph. Nomenclature is updated, wherever needed. At the end of the description of each taxa, material denotes its type and name of the herbarium. Nomenclature of taxa are dealth, relevant references are mentioned and the host index is provided for easy search.

The book is written by the experienced taxonomists, is highly essential, recent and advanced work in the Asterinales series to confirm the ultimate identity of meliolaceous fungi for research and scientific workers. (Jacket)