A project spanning over three decades has come to fruition with the publication of the Flora of the Marquesas Islands authored by David H. Lorence (NTBG) and Warren L. Wagner (Smithsonian Institution). This two volume, 1135 page opus is a complete account of all of the vascular plants found in the Marquesas Islands and was developed and written on a web site format. The Marquesas are a volcanic archipelago of 12 islands and numerous islets situated within the eastern part of French Polynesia, making it one of the most isolated groups of oceanic islands. This collaborative project between the National Tropical Botanical Garden, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Délégation à la Recherche de la Polynésie française is intended to further knowledge of the flora of this remote archipelago.Volume 1 (411 pages, published in December 2019) includes introductory chapters covering the project's history, Marquesas geology and climate, history of plant collecting in the islands, flora and vegetation, plant communities, threats to the flora, conservation status of species including IUCN Red List recommendations, critical conservation considerations, and many other aspects, as well as taxonomic treatments of the native and naturalized lycophytes (fern allies), ferns, and monocots. Volume 1 is richly illustrated with 134 figures including 111 color plates, 21 elegant line drawings by Smithsonian illustrator Alice Tangerini, and two maps. A complete list of all exsiccatae (specimens studied) is given in the Exsiccatae section. Volume 2 (722 pages, published in September 2020) covers the dicots, dicot exsiccatae, a list of cultivated plants, a list of all literature cited, and an index to both volumes. Volume 2 comprises is richly illustrated with 252 color figures and line drawings.

The Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia) are an isolated group of volcanic hot spot islands in the SE Pacific Ocean. Intensive botanical exploration of the Marquesas for the Vascular Flora of the Marquesas Islands and Flore de la Polyn?sie fran?aise projects has resulted in numerous new collections. The nine precursor papers in this issue include three new combinations and descriptions of 18 new species and one new variety of ferns and flowering plants, bringing the total number of new species described in conjunction with these projects to 62. Most of these new species are extremely rare and localized, and they have been assigned preliminary IUCN Red List ratings of Endangered or Critically Endangered. This clearly demonstrates that field work and biological inventories are essential to enhance our knowledge of insular biodiversity and provide critical information for conservation of organisms and habitats. The Vascular Flora of the Marquesas Islands is a collaborative project between the National Tropical Botanical Garden, Smithsonian Institution, and D?l?gation ? la Recherche (French Polynesia) under the direction of David H. Lorence and Warren L. Wagner.

This is the first installment of a vascular Flora of the Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia). It contains floristic taxonomic treatments, keys, synonymy, descriptions, distribution, ethnobotany including uses and vernacular names, citations of geographic records, and herbarium specimens of the families Ericaceae, Epacridaceae, Myrsinaceae, Primulaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Sapotaceae, Oleaceae, Loganiaceae, Gentianaceae, Apocynaceae, Asclepiadaceae,and Convolvulaceae. A brief introduction outlines the history of the botany of the Marquesas, thematerials on which the flora is based, problems in interpreting and using someof the collections, the climatic and geographic setting of the Marquesan Archipelago, and acknowledgments. Other families will follow in future installments as they are completed.

The Flora of the Marquesas Islands is a complete account of all of the plants found in the Marquesas Islands. Of the total 835 vascular plant species recorded for the Marquesas Islands, approximately 504 are aliens introduced by humans over the years, including 257 cultivated, 33 Polynesian introductions, and 214 other naturalized species, compared to the native flora of 331 species. This is a collaborative project between the National Tropical Botanical Garden, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Délégation à la Recherche de la Polynésie française intended to further knowledge of the flora of this remote archipelago. Based on extensive fieldwork this book covers the extant floristic diversity, including 85 recently described species, and provides original illustrations, illuminating photos, and critical conservation considerations. This work imparts a foundational knowledge of the flora as a vital component towards preserving the biodiversity of the Marquesas Islands. This is the second and final volume of the Flora of the Marquesas Islands. Volume 1 comprised the introductory chapters, Lycophytes, Ferns, and Monocots, and Exsiccatae for those groups (Lorence & Wagner 2019). Volume 2 comprises the Dicots in the traditional sense (basal angiosperms plus the eudicots), Cultivated Species Appendix, Literature Cited, Exsiccatae, and Index for both volumes.

The Flora of the Marquesas Islands is a complete account of all of the plants found in the Marquesas Islands. Of the total 826 vascular plant species recorded for the Marquesas Islands, approximately 495 are aliens introduced by humans over the years, including 248 cultivated, 33 Polynesian introductions, and 214 other naturalized species, compared to the native flora of 331 species. This is a collaborative project between the National Tropical Botanical Garden, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Délégation à la Recherche de la Polynésie française intended to further knowledge of the flora of this remote archipelago. Based on extensive fieldwork this book covers the extant floristic diversity, including 85 recently described species, and provides original illustrations, illuminating photos, and critical conservation considerations. The 411 page tome includes introductory chapters covering the project's history, Marquesas geology and climate, history of plant collecting in the islands, flora and vegetation, plant communities, threats to the flora, conservation status of species including IUCN Red List recommendations, critical conservation considerations, and many other aspects, as well as taxonomic treatments of the native and naturalized lycophytes (fern allies), ferns, and monocots. The volume is richly illustrated with 134 figures including 111 color plates, 21 elegant line drawings by Smithsonian illustrator Alice Tangerini, and two maps. A complete list of all botanical specimens studied is given in the Exsiccatae section.

Written by the leading authorities on the plant diversity and ecology of the Pacific islands, this book is a magisterial synthesis of the vegetation and landscapes of the islands of the Pacific Ocean. It is organized by island group, and includes information on geography, geology, phytogeographic relationships, and human influences on vegetation. Vegetation of the Tropical Pacific Islands features over 400 color photographs, plus dozens of maps and climate diagrams. The authors’ efforts in assembling the existing information into an integrated, comprehensive book will be welcomed by biogeographers, plant ecologists, conservation biologists, and all scientists with an interest in island biology.

This 2001 book provides a selective annotated bibliography of the principal floras and related works of inventory for vascular plants. The second edition was completely updated and expanded to take into account the substantial literature of the late twentieth century, and features a more fully developed review of the history of floristic documentation. The works covered are principally specialist publications such as floras, checklists, distribution atlases, systematic iconographies and enumerations or catalogues, although a relatively few more popularly oriented books are also included. The Guide is organised in ten geographical divisions, with these successively divided into regions and units, each of which is prefaced with a historical review of floristic studies. In addition to the bibliography, the book includes general chapters on botanical bibliography, the history of floras, and general principles and current trends, plus an appendix on bibliographic searching, a lexicon of serial abbreviations, and author and geographical indexes.