Asian Zingiberales: Resume & Prospects. (Prof. M. Sabu Commemoration Volume). 2019. illus. XVIII, 310 p. gr8vo. Hardcover.

The Zingiberales, a primarily tropical order of plants, include eight families (Cannaceae, Costaceae, Heliconiaceae, Lowiaceae, Marantaceae, Musaceae, Strelitziaceae and Zingiberaceae), approximately 110 genera, and more than 2,600 species. Many members of the Zingiberales are economically important as foods, spices, medicines, and ornamentals (e.g., bananas, gingers, and prayer plants) or play important ecological roles in local tropical ecosystems (e.g., strongly co-adapted plant-pollinator and plant-herbivore interactions).

Over the last several decades, there has been a renaissance in our understanding of the diversity and evolutionary history of the Zingiberales, especially in the Asian tropics. Through both individual and collaborative research, we now have a much better understanding of the taxonomic boundaries of families and genera, the phylogenetic relationships of these taxa,and the extraordinary diversity of species that are native to tropical lowland and montane forests.

The contributions in this special commemoration volume for Prof. M. Sabu significantly add to our comprehension of the taxonomic depth and breadth of these plants and address many of the challenges to describe and understand the diversity of the Zingiberales and Zingiberaceae. The papers include basic taxonomic descriptions, new floristic accounts, ethnobotanical surveys, conservation assessments, horticultural trials, and genetic studies. This broad collection of manuscripts is a fitting tribute to the lifelong work of Professor Sabu.

Foreword (W. John Kress), Ph.D. Distinguished Scientist and Curator of Botany National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution)
Message (Dr. A.A. Mao), Director Botanical Survey of India
Message (Dr. Jana Leong-Skornickova), Principal Researcher, Singapore Botanic Gardens
Preface
1.Foliar anatomy of Indian Kaempferia(Zingiberaceae)- a taxonomic approach - Aishwarya K. 1-8
2.Pollination studies of Zingiberaceae in India - Aswani K. 9-18
3.Chemotaxonomic studies on the genus Boesenbergia(Zingiberaceae) in India - Aswathi P. & K.V. Radhakrishnan 19-28
4.Beyond bamboos and rattans: Utility of ginger and banana for basketry in Taiwan and the Philippines - Céline E. Kerfant 29-50
5.Application of microrhizomes and minirhizomes in Zingiberaceous species as a means of pathogen free planting material production - Geetha S. Pillai, S. SadheeshnaKumari, P. R. Rahul & Indira Balachandran 51-66
6.Screening of Musa balbisiana(Musaceae) seeds for antidiabetic properties and isolation of apiforol, a potential antidiabetic lead- reeshma Gopalan, B. Prabha, Alfred Joe, P. Nisha& K. V. Radhakrishnan 67-82
7.Curcuma angustifoliaas a non-conventional source of starch and phytochemicals – A review - KhumukchamNongalleima&Chingakham B. Singh 83-92
8.Taxonomic history of Hornstedtialophophore(Zingiberaceae: Alpinieae): an imperfectly known Philippine endemic species -Mark Arebal K. Naive, Sam Dominic A. Binag, &Grecebio Jonathan D. Alejandro 93-100
9.Search for edible starch in Curcuma (Zingiberaceae) from southern India, with special reference to C. haritha- Mathew Dan &Anu S. 101-112
10.Gingers as food and spice -Mohanan K.V. & V. V. Radhakrishnan 113-132
11.Genetic diversity in Zingiberaceous species - NirmalBabu, K., D. Prasath, V. A. MuhammedNissar, S. Aarthi, H. J. Akshitha& Sharon Aravind 133-176
12.The species diversity of Zingiberaceae in Mt. Victoria, Western Myanmar - Nobuyuki Tanaka & Mu MuAung 177-184
13.Pollen morphology of Alpinia(Zingiberaceae) from West Sumatra, Indonesia and its systematic implication - Nurainas, SuciErtaFitri & Dayar Arbain 185-194
14.Endemic gingers (Zingiberaceae) of Thailand - PiyakasetSuksathan&PramoteTriboun 195-204
15.Taxonomic studies on exotic and ornamental Costus (Costaceae) in south India - Prabhukumar K.M., E. Brijila& Indira Balachandran 205-224
16.Conservation strategies for some species of Zingiberaceae - Rajasekharan P. E. & N. Ayesha 225-242
17.New ginger-flower tea formulation and their phytochemical and anti-oxidant analyses - RatchupornSuksathan, ApinyaRachkeeree, Kuttiga Kantadoung & Ratchadawan Puangpradab 243-256
18.SRAP analysis on genetic relationships in KaempferiagalangaL. (Zingiberaceae) - SeniKurniaSenjaya, DyahSubositi&MarlinaArdiyani 257-268
19.Cultivated bananas of south India–an overview - Sreejith P. E. 269-286
20.The genus Meistera(Zingiberaceae) in Western Ghats, India -Thomas V.P. 287-298
21.Taxonomic significance of pollen characteristics in genus Zingiber - Vasantha V. A. 299-310