Description

Leguminosae is the third largest family of flowering plants after Asteraceae and Orchidaceae. In India, it is the second largest family after Orchidaceae with more than 1400 species out of which about 23% are strictly confined to the country. In India, the maximum legume diversity and endemism is found in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. Even though many reports on palynological data on widely distributed and alien species of Indian Leguminosae are available, only scanty data is available regarding the endemic legumes of India. This book presents the palynological details of 60 Indian endemic legumes so far unknown to science and their role in taxonomic considerations, which may help to improve our knowledge in these areas and to take right decisions whenever taxonomic problems are encountered related to these plants. Each taxon is provided with updated nomenclature, brief description of the plant including pollen morphology, details of habitat, phenology and distribution. Photographs, illustration and distribution map of each species is also provided.

About Author

Dr. Anoop P. Balan has been working on the Taxonomy and Palynology of Indian Leguminosae since 2008. He got Ph. D in Botany from Kannur University in 2017. He was awarded with the National Post-Doctoral Fellowship of Science and Engineering Research Board (DST), Government of India in 2017. He has more than 30 research publications in his credit including many new species and new additions to the flora of India. He is a life member of Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy (IAAT) and a member of IUCN – Western Ghats Plants Specialist Group since 2020. Currently he is a faculty member of the PG Department of Botany, BAM College, Thuruthicad, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India.

Dr. P.S. Udayan is presently working as an Assistant Professor of Botany in Sree Krishna College, Guruvayur, Thrissur, Kerala. His specialization is in the field of Taxonomy of Flowering plants, Medicinal plants, Plant biodiversity conservation, Ecology and Ethnobotany. He has more than 30 years of research experience in the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats flora of South India and has published more than 190 research papers and four books. He is a Fellow of Indian Angiosperm Taxonomy since 2013 and visiting scientist in various research institutes.

Dr. S.V. Predeep has worked in Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata and awarded Ph. D from Calcutta University in 1993. Later he joined in NSS College, Nenmara, Palakkad, Kerala as Lecturer and retired in 2019 as Associate Professor from SVR NSS College, Vazhoor, Kottayam, Kerala. He has specialized in Taxonomy and diversity of family Leguminosae and successfully completed many research projects. He has published more than 50 research papers in various national and International journals.