Contents: Preface. I. 1. Introduction. 2. Historical background. 3. Materials and methods. II. 4. Characteristics of the Indian orchid flora. 5. Smmary. III. 6. Novelties. 7. Rediscoveries. 8. New records. IV. 9. Enumeration of Indian orchids. V. 10. Notes on unacceptable names, new nomenclature in the table and presumably extinct or endangered taxa. References. Colour plates. Index.

"This "Catalogue" is the most modern and most comprehensive work on Indian orchids in which complete data on nomenclature and distribution of all orchids known from here till date are included. Unlike its predecessors, the Catalogue provides at a glance, the correct nomenclature and distribution of Indian orchids (altogether 1141 species in 166 genera including a new genus Seidenfadeniella and many other novelties). Characteristics of the Indian orchid flora are analyzed and discussed in detail under 3 separate units as (1) the Peninsular, (2) The Himalayan and (3) the Andaman & Nicobar islands elements. Endemic genera and species of these units are individually covered and in many cases illustrated. Notes on new nomenclature are separately provided and an exhaustive list of references to original and modern publications appended. This contains 17 line drawings including 4 maps and colour photographs of 60 species of Indian orchids, some of which are published for the first time." (jacket)

[C. Sathish Kumar is on the staff of the Tropical Botanic Garden & Research Institute, Trivandrum.

K.S. Manilal is Professor of Botany, University of Calicut.]

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