Abstract

The manual provides exhaustive details on selected 150 species of non wood or non-timber forest produce plants of Kerala State. The plant taxa dealt with belong to categories of products like medicine, spices and condiments, gums and resins, dyes, tanning materials, essential oils, detergents and cosmetics, narcotics and beverages, fibres and floss, food and fodder, fats and oils, paper and pulp, poisons and pesticides, cottage industries and few others with certain specific uses. For each taxon, the details provided are nomenclature, local names of plants and products, detailed plant descriptions, ecology and phenology, district-wise distribution in Kerala, world distribution and information on products(s) extracted and their uses. For each taxon,distribution maps for Kerala is provided and wherever illustrations are not referred to in the nomenclature part, a sketch of the plant is also given to facilitate easy identification. In the manual, various species are arranged alphabetically by their up-to-date botanical names. All the botanical names used in the text have also been indexed towards end. Also, a classified list of species belonging to different product categories and a glossary of medical terms used in the manual is provided to facilitate any reference