Flora of Karnataka--Analysis

Contents: Foreword/Dr. S.K. Jain, Director, Botanical Survey of India. Introduction. Lists of plants belonging to 199 families located in Karnataka with references.

From the foreword by Dr. S.K. Jain: The state of Karnataka covers an area of over 1,92,000 sq. Km., and several of its mountainous regions are covered with donse forests. Botanically, the region is very interesting, and there has been condierable exploration and taxonomic activity around Bangalore, Mysore, Hassan Chikmagalur etc. Floristic accounts of these districts have been published. Yet, so far there is no inventory of all flowering plants occurring in the state.

"Work on such an inventory was started about 3 years ago and I am happy that Dr. Sharma and his colleagues have been able to complete this work dealing with 3924 species belonging to 1323 genera and 199 families.

"Besides the herbarium speciemens incorporated in the regional herbarium, the analysis takes into account all published papers relevant to Karnataka and thus the work includes all species recorded from Karnataka proper. Diagnostic keys and detailed descriptions have not been given but every effort has been made to give selective synonyms and being the nomenclature upto date. A brief mention has been made in the introduction about the endemic and endangered plants, emphasising the need for prompt remedial measures. One genus (Hubbardia) and atleast two species (Ceropegia fantastica and Viscum myserense) are already feared to be extinct and many more are either threatened or vulnerable.

"The work does give a glimpse of the rich diversity of the flora and should serve as a useful reference work for botanists, foresters, agricultural scientists and others interested in biological resources of this region.

[The authors are members of the staff of the Botanical Survey of India.]