Book Description

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.