This presentation was given by Dr. Avishek Bhattacharjee in Botanical Nomenclature Course held in Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong in November 2016. This may be helpful to the undergraduate and post graduate Botany students to understand different types of taxonomic literature, especially Flora, Revision and Monograph.

1. FLORA, REVISION AND
MONOGRAPH
AVISHEK BHATTACHARJEE
Central National Herbarium
Botanical Survey of India
Howrah – 711 103.
Email: avibsi@rediffmail.com

2. Various forms of taxonomic literature incorporating description, illustrations, identification
keys, photographs etc. are useful for proper identification of unknown plants. Some of these
are among the oldest and most complicated literatures of science.
‘Shen-nung pen ts'ao ching’ (Divine Husbandman's Materia
Medica), i.e. the Materia Medica of the mythical emperor, Shen-
nung [c. 2696 BC] of China.
Theophrastus [370–285 BC], the ‘Father of Botany’, was a
student of Aristotle and Platon. He wrote a classification of all known
plants in his ‘De Historia Plantarum’, which contained 480 species.
Pedanius Diocorides [c. 40–90 AD],
the Greek physician, pharmacologist
and botanist in his ‘De Materia
Medica’, described about 600 species
of medicinal plants.
Some pre-Linnean
literature

3. ‘Colóquios dos simples e drogas he cousas
medicinais da Índia’ was published on 10 April
1563 (in Goa) by Garcia de Orta, a Portuguese
Jewish physician and naturalist, a pioneer of
tropical medicine.
Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Drakenstein
or Van Rheede [1636–1691], the then Dutch
Governor of Malabar, published ‘Hortus
Malabaricus’ (1678–1703) in 12-volumes
describing 740 plants of the region.
Charak, the great Indian medicine
man as back as in 125 AD,
described several plants (more
than 500) in his book - ‘Charak
Samhita’.
‘Thesaurus Zeylanicus’ is a book with
botanical descriptions and illustrations
by the Dutch
botanist and physician Johannes
Burman which was published in 1737.
One of the earliest authors was
Andrea Caesalpino [1519–
1603] in Italy, who is sometimes
called "the first taxonomist". In
1583 he wrote ‘De Plantis’, a
work that contained 1500
species.
Joseph Pitton de
Tournefort [1656–1708]
constructed a botanical
classification that came to
rule in botanical taxonomy
until the time of Carl
Linnaeus. In 1700 he
published ‘Institutiones Rei
Herbariae’, in which around
9000 species were listed in
698 genera. He is known as
the ‘Father of genus
concept’.

4. Some Linnean and post-Linnean
literature
Linnaeus published
‘Species Plantarum’, the
work which is now
internationally accepted as
the starting point (1753) of
modern botanical
nomenclature. The book
contains account of over
7,300 species.
‘Flora Lapponica’ is an account of the plants of Lapland
written by Carolus Linnæus [1107–1778] – ‘The Father of
Taxonomy’.
George Bentham
[1800–1884] wrote
‘Flora Hongkongensis’
(1861), ‘Flora
Australiensis’ (1863–
1878), ‘Revision of the
genus Cassia’ (1871)
etc.
William Roxburgh [1751–1815], considered as the ‘Father of Indian
Botany’ published ‘Plants of the Coast of Coromandel’ (1795–
1820), ‘Hortus Bengalensis’ (1814). Roxburgh’s ‘Flora Indica’ was
posthumously published first in 2 volumes (1820–1824) and later in 3
volumes (1832) with about 2600 species.

5. Published in 7 volumes
(1875–1897)
c. 15,900 species of
Flowering plants

6. Flora: Inventory of plants of a defined geographical region.
Revision: Exhaustive taxonomic account of a taxon/taxa; usually the
scope is not worldwide like that of a monograph.
Monograph: Comprehensive taxonomic account of a particular
taxon/taxa with worldwide scope.
Flora, revision and monograph are three major forms of taxonomic literature on
which study and research on plant-taxonomy are highly based. These are not only
essential for proper identification of plants, but also helpful to understand and
conserve the biodiversity.

7. District/ State/ Union Territory/ Geographical or Phytogeographical region/
Biodiversity rich region/ Protected area/ Fragile ecosystem/ Wetlands etc.
Flora: Inventory of plants of a defined geographical region.
The most important part before initiating work for a Flora is to select the
appropriate area of study which determines the scope and value of the Flora.
Within a country:

8. National Flora: Flora of an entire country
Continental Flora: Flora of a continent

9. Special Flora: Flora of particular taxon/ taxa group(s)/ of plants
e-Flora: Available online

10.  Survey and collection of the plants from the study area.
 Identify the species collected from the study area.
 Describe the identified species.
 Preparation of a detailed account of the plants found in the study area based on
own collections, consultation of herbaria and study of relevant literature.
 Preparation of a comprehensive list of economically as well as medicinally
important species/taxa for their conservation and sustainable utilization.
 Evaluation of threatened/near threatened plant species of the area.
 Study of biotic interferences on plant diversity of the study area.
Objective
s

11. Some guidelines to write a standard Flora
 Area of study should be selected carefully.
 Brief account of plants should be provided according to their taxonomic hierarchy (eg.
species under their respective genera, genera under their respective families, families
under their respective order, orders under their respective subclasses, classes).
 Taxa may be arranged either according to a standard system of classification (highly
preferred) or alphabetically (less preferred).
 Identification tools (keys) may be provided.
 Citation of accepted names, basionyms, synonyms, etymology may be provided.
 Vernacular names may be provided.
 Brief descriptions should be provided.
 Illustrations and photographs should be provided for easy identification.
 Phenology should be provided.
 Precise distribution should be mentioned.
 Voucher specimens should be mentioned.

12. Flora

13. Key to the genera
citation of genus
citation of species
(accepted name)
basionym
description
phenology habitat
specimen examined
distribution
etymology
Vernacular name
synonym

14. What is difference between ‘flora’ and ‘Flora’?
flora = vegetation
Flora = book/publication
The flora of Eastern Himalaya is highly rich.
The ‘Flora of the Presidency of Bombay’ is
written by Theodore Cooke.

15. Revision: A novel analysis of the variation patterns within a particular taxon, considered in
conjunction with information from the literature, which results in the generation of primary and
secondary products. The primary product is a novel classification of the taxon and is
complemented by a range of secondary products such as keys, synonymised lists, taxon
illustrations, critical notes etc.
 Particular taxon
 Collation of morphological and geographic data, possibly from
a particular area.
 Area of study (minimum): A country/ phytogeographic region
Expected components:
 Discussion on classification/systematic position
 Review of literature
 Key(s)
 Correct citations of accepted names, basionyms, synonyms
 Citation of types of all correct names and synonyms
 Typifications/nomenclatural corrections
 Vernacular names (if any)
 Detailed descriptions considering complete range of variation
 Illustrations/plate/photographs
 Phenology
 Habitat/Ecology
 Distribution within study area and in world
 Uses (if any)
 Etymology
 Other relevant data (cytology, palynology, pollination biology, molecular study etc.)
 Specimens examined
 Notes

16. Main objectives of a
Revision:
 Preparing an up-to-date taxonomic account of a taxon to aid in:
(a) Specimen/taxon identification, comparison
(b) Retrieval of general information about the taxon
(c) Exploring scope of sustainable utilization
(d) Assessing the present status of members of taxon in the field and to propose
effective
conservation measures.
(e) Providing a foundation to other related fields of Life sciences.

17. Sometimes the geographical scope of a Revision
may be worldwide, but in that case it lacks some
other information (data from other fields), i.e. it is
not an ultimate comprehensive account like that
of a Monograph.

18. Consultation of Herbaria: Very essential for a Revision
Effort should be given to consult maximum number of specimens deposited in
different herbaria located at different parts of the world.
 Identification
 Characterization
 Range of variation
 Phenology (flowering and/or fruiting)
 Distribution
 Elevation
 Temporary characters
 Tracing of original material

19. Collection of live-specimen : Some taxa may be represented by very limited number of
specimens and in many cases some specimens may be without flowers, or in a very fragile
condition. Thus, efforts should be made to collect live-specimens for detailed study. Prior to
undertaking the field tours, the possible locality and phenology of the taxa should be noted
from the published literature and from the field data available on the herbarium sheets (already
deposited at different herbaria).

20. Dissection and study of different parts (especially reproductive
parts )

21. Understanding the circumscription and variation:

22. glabrous
with simple hairs
with glandular hairs
Variations in Z. nervosa

23. C. herbacea C. yuksomnensis
Same or different?

24. C. herbacea and C. yuksomensis are different species

25. Sweeping hairs
Style branch
Stigmatic surface

26. Basic knowledge on Botanical Latin is necessary
Stearn, W.T. 1983. Botanical Latin
(ed. 3). David & Charles Inc., USA.

27. Revision
*After preliminary knowledge on distribution
and phenology by studying literature and
some herbarium specimens

29. Goodyerinae Ridl.
Subtribe Goodyerinae Klotzsch
J.F. Klotzsch in the year 1846 established the subdivision
Goodyereae, but the first treatment of this group as a subtribe was
provided by H.N. Ridley (1907) in ‘Materials for a Flora of the
Malayan Peninsula, Part I’.
Citations must be accurate
….
So, verify each citation personally ….
Don’t depend strongly on published
literature (except protologues)

33. Monograph: Comprehensive taxonomic account (including data from
related fields) of a taxon with worldwide geographical scope. It contains all
information of a taxon in a single publication.
Similar to Revision but more exhaustive in the following features –
 Number of species/taxa (all members of the world belonging to that
taxon/taxa)
 Review of literature (worldwide)
 Synonyms (complete synonymy)
 Specimens examined/herbaria consulted
 Information from allied fields

34. Manual: A manual is a more exhaustive
treatment than the flora, always having keys
for identification, description but generally
covering specialized groups of plants.
Manual of Cultivated Plants – L.H. Bailey
(1949)
Manual of Aquatic Plants – N.C. Fassett
(1957)
Conspectus: A conspectus is an effective
outline of a comprehensive
work/revision listing all the taxa, with all
or major synonyms, with or without short
diagnosis and with brief mention of the
geographical range.
Species Plantarum – C. Linnaeus (1753)

35. Journal: A taxonomic journal provides
information on the results of on-going
research and is published at regular intervals.
Abstract and bibliography:
Abstract provides a summary of
various articles published in various
journals throughout the world.
Bibliography is a list of names of
publication of books and scientific
literature on specific topics during a
specific period.

36. Checklist: List of plants (often with information on distribution but lacking
description/diagnosis and other details) of an area/region; sometimes dealing with
particular group of plants.
World/Global checklist

37. Botanical Dictionary: A botanical dictionary
may includes lists of all known genera/taxa
(sometimes with brief information on distribution)
of certain plant group.
A Dictionary of the Flowering Plants and
Ferns – J.C. Willis (1973)
A Dictionary of Economic Products of India –
G. Watt (1889-1896)
Mabberley’s Plant Book (3rd ed.)
– D. J. Mabberley, (2008)
Botanical Glossary: A glossary is an
alphabetical list of different terms with their
explanations.
A Glossary of Botanical Terms – B.D.
Jackson (1928)
The Cambridge illustrated Glossary of
Botanical Terms – M. Hickey & C. King
(2000)

38. Thank You