This book is the result of more than five years of extensive field and laboratory studies on the polypodioid ferns of South India, covering Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Thirty three species belonging to fourteen genera under three families viz, Grammitidaceae, Loxogrammaceae and Polypodiaceae are treated. This is fully illustrated taxonomic account of this group for South India covering all important aspects including the history and classification of the group and its constituent taxa. Nomenclature and taxonomy of each species have been updated in consultation with types and other authentic specimens. Besides distribution maps, a brief note on the ecology of each species are provided. The exhaustive bibliography cited at the end will help future researchers in this field. Contents Chapter 1: Introduction; Importance of the present work, Review of literature, Area of study, Distribution and ecology, Materials and methods, Plan of the work; Chapter 2: Systematic treatment; Polypodioid ferns, Grammitidaceae, Loxogrammaceae, Polypodiaceae; Chapter 3: Discussion.

Biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate due to anthropogenic activities around the world. This book is the first volume in the new series Biodiversity Hotspots of the World, which highlights the 36 hotspot regions of the world, regions that were designated as reaping maximum benefit from preservation efforts. This series is our humble attempt to document these hotspots as a conservation and preservation measure. This first volume in the series focuses on the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, construed as forming a community of species because of their shared biogeographical history. The volume explores the diversity and conservation efforts of the extraordinarily rich species found here, including plants, many of which are found nowhere else in the world; forests, which face tremendous population pressure and have been dramatically impacted by demands for timber and agricultural land; as well as the hotspot’s diverse mammals, birds, insects, and amphibian species, and more. The volumes in this series will be essential resources for researchers and practitioners in the fields of conservation biology, ecology, and evolution.