Textbook of Systematic Botany  (English, Hardcover, Gupta R. P)

This is a completely revised updated and enlarged edition of the successful textbook which was first published in 1961. Systematic botany and taxonomy have made considerable progress since then which this edition admirably reflects. A new chapter Botanical Explorations: A Historical Perspective summaries the history of plant explorations discusses the concept of biological flora outlines the role of Botanical Survey of India and the future perspectives. The chapter Progress of Classification of Plants has been completely updated. A new chapter Gymnosperms and Angiosperms has been added; a comparison between the two provides better insight into the systematic of the two groups. Information on individual species from India has been provided which would prove useful to the students of botany. The chapters Principles of Classifications and Concepts of Taxa Modern Trends in Plant Taxonomy Botanical Nomenclature Botanical Gardens and Herbaria How to Collect Plants and Make Herbarium Photography and Terminology of Plant Description have been revised expanded and reinforced with new information on the subject. The chapters on the description of families and important genera have been updated with additions to cover the syllabi of different universities. The chapter Distribution of Indian Plants describes the flora under four geographical heads. The chapters Biodiversity: Conservation of Endangered Plants and Habitats and Biodiversity: Conserving Plant Genetic Resources have taken up the centre-stage of interest not only in the country but world over. Indian perspective on biodiversity has been discussed in the book with emphasis on community participatory requirement.

About the Author

Raj Kumar Gupta is currently Director Centre for Research on Ecology Environmental Applications Training and Education (CREATE). He retired as Principal Scientist from CS and WCR and Training Institute (ICAR) Dehradun in 1992. He has also worked as Ecologist CAZRI Jodhpur; Lecturer in Botany DAV College Muzaffarnagar and DSB College Nainital during fifties. He has extensively surveyed the vegetation and flora of Garhwal Nainital Doab area of UP Pondicherry South India and the Indian arid zone and studied the ecology and flora of diverse areas. He has served on the steering committee International Biological Programme representing India and Pakistan. He has served FAO as Chief Technical Advisor directing the activities of an international project on FoutaDjalion representing organisations like FAO UNESCO UNDP WMO UNSO and mapped the area for scientific and management.