Author: K. M. Leelavathy

Publisher: Daya Books

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 9788170352211

This book is the result of a preliminary study of the polypore flora of Kerala mainly for a period of five years from 1983-1987. Must effort in the form of field work and laboratory work have gone into it along with exhaustive coverage of literature. Though this is primarily a study of the polypore flora of Kerala State, a good number of species recorded from here are new reports for India. Therefore, besides being a regional flora, the present work adds considerably to our knowledge of the polypores of India. As reports of polyporaceous fungi from Kerala up to this time was only six species, this presentation may serve as a base on which future workers of Kerala on this interesting group of fungi can build up. The present work contains descriptions and illustrations of 80 species of polypores belonging to 32 genera of three families viz, Ganodermataceae, Hymenochaetaceae and Polyporaceae. The book also provides a brief summary of the history and classification of the three families and a review of literature on the subject including contributions of Indian workers. Keys are provided for families, genera and species. Full synonymy and author citation are quoted for each species. Detailed descriptions, drawings and collection data are also provided. With a few exceptions descriptions are based on fresh collections made by the authors from Kerala. Part of all collections are deposited in the Herbarium of the Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun (Herb FRI) and at the Herbarium Cryptogamme Indae Orientalis (Herb HCIO) of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. Contents Chapter 1: Introduction; Materials and methods, Physiography and vegetation of the region, Review of literature, Technical terms; Chapter 2: Systematic Account; Key to families, Introduction to families, Ganodermataceae, Hymenochaetaceae, Polyporaceae.