Taxonomy of Higher Plants, Vols 1 and 2
Contents: Vol. I. Preface. Acknowledgements. 1. Scheme to describe flowering plants. 2. Plants general habit. 3. Position of some selected families in different major classifications. 4. Terminology of plant description. 5. Gymnosperms. 6. Angiosperms.
Vol. II. Angiosperms: a. The decotyledenes. ii. The Monocotyledones. 7. Chronology of taxonomical work. 8. Taxonomic literature. 9. Comparison of families. 10. Plants of economic (importance). Taxonomic glossary. Bibliography. Index. Appendix.
"The present text "Taxonomy of Higher Plants" is the outcome of the persistent demand made by graduate, post-graduate and some of the teachers, this book has been written due to our long association with the subject extending over a long time and according to the syllabi all Indian Universities. In this text 108 families have been described in detail of which 11 families are from Gymnosperms, 76 from Dicots and 21 from Monocots. The families have been arranged according to the natural system of classification propounded by the eminent taxonomist Bentham and Hooker (1862) since it is followed in almost all Indian Herbaria majority of the are based on this system. It is most appropriate system for studying angiosperms in the laboratories and splitting of the families are according to John Hutchinson (1959). The systematic position have been given in the description of each family of Bentham and Hooker (1862), Engler and Prantl (1931) and Hutchinson (1959). The author had tried to remedy this short coming and have selected for the various families and genera have been and supported with about 225 illustrations, only such plants for descriptions, Those are familiar and growing mostly in our country (India). These plants have been sketched specially for this book, care have been taken to see that they appear exactly like what they are in their natural surroundings. More over they have been described in semi technical language which we believe, will greatly help the students in his practical classes." (jacket)
