Flora of Solapur District

Contents: Foreword. Preface. I. Introduction: 1. Topography. 2. Soil. 3. Drainage system 4. Dams. 5. Climate and rainfall. 6. Temperature. 7. Humidity. 8. Winds. 9. Review of floristic account of Solapur District. 10. Plan of work and methods adopted. II. Vegetation: 1. Tropical dry deciduous mixed forests. 2. Thorny forests. 3. Grasslands. 4. Vegetation along river and stream banks. 5. Aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation. 6. Wasteland vegetation. 7. Wall Flora. 8. Weeds. 9. Economically important plants. 10. Cereal crops. 11. Pluses. 12. Oil seeds. 13. Vegetables. 14. Fruits. 15. Fiber yielding plants. 16. Cash crops. 17. Timber trees. 18. Medicinal plants. Statistical analysis of flora. Systematic treatment. References. Index to scientific names. Index to common/local names. Addenda and corrigenda.

From the preface: The authors have a longstanding interest in flowering plants of Solapur District and a number of research papers were published. They have described a remarkable new species, Crinum Solapurense (Amaryllidaceae) from Solapur district. However, there is absolutely no record of the plants of Solapur district anywhere. The district rather remained neglected with regard to its plant wealth. Consequently, it has remained under-developed with respect to its plant based industries. Unfortunately, certain pseudo-research activities in this field of science were flourished. The main aim of such researchers was certainly not the improvement or addition to the knowledge of plants of the district. In fact, their researches have misled the general public of the district. A serious consideration was given to all these facts, the authors decided to take up matter urgently.

Flora of Solapur district is the first comprehensive and systematic account of plant wealth of the district. It will be catering to the needs of people of district in various occupations, be it an anthropologist, agriculturist, archaeologist, Ayurvedic practitioner, botanist, economist, ethno-botanist, planner and policy maker. Flora of Solapur district is much more than more checklist of description source. It is comprehensive with the advent of new data from every field of botany. It will be definitely useful for researchers, foresters and policy makers for conservation of biological resources of the district and their possible utilization.

[Dr. S.P. Gaikwad is presently working as Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany, Walchand College of Arts and Science, Solapur, Maharashtra, India].

[Dr. K.U. Garad is at presently working as Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany, Shankarrao Mohite Mahavidyalaya, Akluj, Solapur, Maharashtra, India].