This Book, Advances In Pteridology, Provides A Comprehensive And Critical Review Of The Work Done In Different Areas Of Pteridology Including Systematics, Morphology, Anatomy, Reproductive Biology, Phytochemical Study, Biodiversity Conservation And Ethnomedicinal Pteridophytes. The Book Contains 19 Chapters Covering Detailed Classifications Of Ferns And Reproductive Biology Of Homosporous Ferns And Excellent Accounts Of Genus Selaginella, Marsilea, Isoetes, Cyathea, Ophioglossum And Phymatopteris. Aspects Covering The Antibacterial Effect Of Pteridophytes And The Ethnomedicinal Uses Of Pteridophytes Have Been Specially Included To Project Their Role And Use In The Twenty-First Century. A Comprehensive Account Of Recent Observations On The Biodiversity Of Vascular Cryptogams And Hot Spot Areas Of Kumaon Himalayas Is Given To Throw Light On The Importance Of Preservation Of Vanishing Pteridophytes Of India.

The National Botanical Research Institute came into being as the 13th among a chain of National Laboratories established during April, 1953 under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research by the Govt. of India for advanced research in fields of specialisation which have a direct bearing on socio-economic, industrial and scientific advancement of the nation. Christened initially as National Botanic Gardens, the nucleus around which the institution took shape under its founder- Director Late Prof. K. N. Kaul, was a large herbarium of Indian flora and a centu- old botanical garden spread over 35 ha of land on the banks of River Gomti in the heart of Lucknow city. It’s a matter of great pleasure and profound satisfaction to me that a Golden Jubilee volume entitled, “Pteridology in the New Millennium” is being published and released during the Golden Jubilee year of NBRI in the honour of Professor B. K. Nayar who laid the foundation of the Pteridology Laboratory of the NBRI, which is now a well equipped laboratory for the study of Indian pteridophytes. Professor Nayar is a holistic Botanist as evident through his contributions and publications in almost all the areas of study of Pteridophyta. The contribution of Professor Nayar towards the development of modern Pteridology and the role of NBRI in it is indeed great and very important. His publications will be valuable for the younger generation of scientists in the field as well as for the more mature research workers and teachers.

"With their team of contemporary scholars, the editors present a thorough coverage of fundamental topics necessary for obtaining an up-to-date understanding of the biology of ferns and lycophytes. The book is organized into major topics that build from the individual and its biochemistry and structure, to genetics and populations, to interactions among individuals and the conservation of species, and concludes with perspectives on evolutionary history and classification. Each chapter is organized to review past work, explore current questions, and suggest productive directions for continued discoveries about these fascinating groups of organisms. Written for upper undergraduates, graduates and academic researchers, Biology and Evolution of Ferns and Lycophytes fills a major gap in biological, organism-level, evolutionary literature by providing a review of the biology and evolution of this important group of vascular land plants."--NHBS Environment Bookstore.

Ferns, collectively, represent an ancient species of vascular plant which has a direct connection to the beginning of life on Earth. Today they are valued for their ornamental appeal, environmental benefit or as sources of health benefiting metabolites. Current pteridology, the study of fern, encompasses a wide range of research activities including, but not limited to, plant physiology, stress tolerance, genetics and genomics. The goal of this book is to compile the most relevant research done with ferns during the last decade. It is organized into four parts: I, Biology and Biotechnology; II, Evolution and Conservation; III, Metabolism and Genetic Resources, and IV, Environment. Each section reveals the utilization of ferns as a tool to explore challenges unique to plant development and adaptation. This project represents our collective effort to raise the awareness of ferns as a model system to study higher plant functions. Among the distinctive features of our proposed book are: (i) a wide range of topics with contributing researchers from all around the world, and (ii) recent advances of theoretic and applied knowledge with implications to crop species of economic value.

This well timed volume features a selection of chapters composed by experts in their respective fields. It covers a broad range of topics, from its fundamental biology to the fern’s population genetics and environmental and therapeutic applications.

An informative, innovative and comprehensive text on the subject, the second revised edition of the book offers a coherent account of various aspects of pteridophyta, in the light of new findings. It covers the entire course of reading on the subject for BSc and MSc degrees.

Festschrift honoring Pran Nath Mehra, b. 1907, Indian botanist.