FLORA OF GANGOTRI NATIONAL PARK WESTERN HIMALAYA, INDIA

I have recently procured a new flora published by Botanical Survey of India and authored by two quality taxonomists of India Dr P.K. Pusalkar and Dr D.K. Singh.

After Oleg Polunin and Adam Stainton’s FLOWERS OF THE HIMALAYA and later FLOWERS OF THE HIMALAYA A SUPPLEMENT by Stainton, I always felt a lack of pictorial flora on high altitude plants of the Himalaya. This void is perfectly filled by the present flora titled as “FLORA OF GANGOTRI NATIONAL PARK WESTERN HIMALAYA, INDIA”.

Gangotri National Park situated in Uttarakhand, is unique in having temperate and alpine areas in its boundaries where moist alpines gradually grades into arid trans-Himalayan alpines. It gives an opportunity to study both types of flora. Therefore, though meant for Gangotri National Park in Uttarakhand, this flora is equally useful for all high altitude areas of West Himalaya including great Himalayan and trans-Himalayan arid areas.

Fortified with above 1000 colour pics showing almost all the species described (982 species total), and 31 plates of good quality line diagrams it is the best document available till date for correct identification of high altitude flora of Western Himalaya.

Though written by two hard core taxonomists the account is also useful to the common nature lovers with beautiful pics of plants and landscapes added with local names.

Priced as Rs 4480=00 and being a govt publication, seems a little towards the higher end but in my personal opinion it deserves this price considering the high quality content and efforts of the authors in this arduous terrain.