Gentianaceae of the North West Himalaya (A Revision). 1987. (International Bioscience Monograph, 17). 12 photos. 51 plates. 27 maps. 342 p. Lex8vo. Hardbound.

The family Gentianaceae as dealt within the Flora of British India(Volume IV) by C.B.Clarke in 1883 is now more than a century old and no other comprehensive work either on total Indian Gentianaceae or of anregion of the country is available. Furthermore, botanical science has made substantial progress since the fourth volume of the Flora of British India appeared, and many of Clarke's taxonomic and nomenclatural conclusions are now outdated. Also with more thorough botanical explorations and correct identifications of doubtful specimens, new 'Gentians' have been added to the Indian Gentianaceae. Hence, acomprehensive, up-dated revision of the family was long overdue. The revision includes 4 tribes, 14 genera, 82 species and varieties,supported by 52 line drawings, 28 maps and 12 photographs. In additionto the taxonomic treatments, uses, vernacular and English names and chromosome numbers of the taxa occurring in North-West Himalaya,complete reviews of various other aspects like phylogeny, affinities,pollination, dispersal, cultivation, diseases and pests, cytology,palynology, embryology, anatomy, chemotaxonomy, etc. of the family Gentianaceae are also discussed.