Genera of Indian Polypores

Contents: 1. Acknowledgements. 2. Introduction. 3. Classification history. 4. Key to the Indian genera. 5. Enumeration of genera and species. 6. Excluded species. 7. Literature cited. 8. Index.

From the foreword: "After the recent ratification of international agreements and formulations of several national strategies on biodiversity conservation, India has intensified efforts for inventorisation and monitoring of all components of its biological wealth. The Botanical Survey of India being the premier organisation on plants for this purpose, has contributed immensely towards the survey and documentation of Indian flora at local, regional and national levels.

"During these studies, lower groups of plants – the Cryptogams in general have received less attention. In the recent years, however, efforts have been underway to streamline the studies on various groups, viz. Algae, Bryophytes, Fungi and Lichens. Among the Cryptogams, the fungi with about 14,500 species, constitute a dominant group after the flowering plants. The poroid fungi represent a larger and diverse complex of fungi playing an immensely beneficial role by disposing off the forest slash and litter and recycling the basic elements."