The Andaman and Nicobar group of islands are the only Indian territory which still basks in its pristine glory. The archipelago is endowed with various maritime ecosystems like evergreen, semi-evergreen and deciduous forests, mangroves, grasslands and pastures. The rain forests exhibit majestic growth in multi-tier canopies with rich biological wealth. Even now, new species are being discovered from the forests of these islands. Recently the scientists of the Botanical Survey of India discovered a new species Oryza indandamanica. Yet, there have been dismal efforts to catalogue the plant resources of the islands. This backlog will now be covered by the book Plant Resources of Andaman and Nicobar Islands written by J.C. Dagar and N.T. Singh. They have served the islands for a number of years and their experience of the territory is reflected in the compilation of the plant resources, unique ecosystems, soils, tribal population, cropping patterns, floristic analysis and utilisation of plant species. The authors have enumerated over 2400 species of vascular plants out of which 296 taxa are reported to be endemic to these islands. The utilisation of plants in medicine, food, fibre, timber and fodder by different tribal groups is an interesting and important information compiled by the authors. The information on different economic plants will be of abiding interest to those interested in plant resources and agriculture. The book begins with a description of the islands, their geology, topography, climate, soils, the people and the resources. Another important feature is a description of agro-eco-systems, cropping patterns, relevance of agroforestry for the islands, weeds of crops and their distribution and management. The authors have compiled the information from diverse sources to make the book comprehensive.
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