Botanica y Ecologia des las Monocotiledoneas de los Paramos en Venezuela. 2 vols. 2011. Many line drawings. Approx. 80 col. photographs. 778 p. 4to. Plastic cover.

Describes the diversity of monocotyledons in the Venezuelan paramos and their ecotones, gathering for the first time, a great amount of information already published, and presenting new taxonomic and ecological data. A total of 22 families, 20 of them of natural occurrence in paramos (two of exotic origin), are treated within the book. Eight chapters are included in the first volume. The first contains general information on the paramo are treated in the last six chapters. The second volume comprises the taxonomic treatment of 16 families, a glossary of botanical and ecological terms, and a list of bibliography cited. Descriptions for all families and genera are provided. For most families, keys and/or commentaries on keycharacters, help to identify genera and species. Within the work a total of 141 genera , and close to 600 species are listed, and many of them described and illustrated. The most important monocot families in the area are: Orchidaceae, with 49 genera and 226 species, Poaceae, with 55 genera and 205 species; Cyperaceae, with 8 genera and 52 species, and Bromeliaceae, with 8 genera and 40 species. At least 40 species of monocots are considered as endemic to the Venezuelan Andes. A new nomenclatural combination (Calamagrostis meridensis (Luces) B. Briceño) is proposed within the Poaceae.