Botany of Kaziranga and Manas

North Eastern India is botanically a very interesting region due to its comparatively less disturbed vegetation. The largest plain land in northeastern India is the Brahmaputra valley. This plain land is of significance not only for agriculture and industry of this region but also for the rich vegetation preserved in many sanctuaries. No detailed account of the flora and vegetation of these sanctuaries is available. Some floristic work for the whole of Assam in general, such as Kanjilal et al (1936-1940), Bor (1940-1942), Rowntree (1954) and some on small areas, published during last about one decade, exists. This book deals with the higher plants occurring in the Kaziranga National Park (proposed as Kaziranga & Manas Biosphere Reserves) and Manas Wild Life Sanctuary. This account giving keys for identification of species and illustration of common or interesting plants should help in establishing animal-plant relationship or for biological management of these areas. Efforts have been made to observe plants which are commonly consumed or reported to constitute the diet of the animals in the sanctuaries. After the publication of Kanjilal’s Flora of Assam, which was firstly incomplete, and secondly out of print for long now the present work is the only detailed floristic account for a large area in present Assam. Kanjilal’s Flora also did not treat the full herbaceous flora of the region. Hence this flora would serve as a guide for identification of most of the plants occurring in the plains of Assam as a whole and should be useful to students and teachers in degree and post graduate institutions in addition to its utility for managers of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.