Plant Diversity and Resources 33(4):375.2011
书评
Koshy, K. C. (2010). Bamboos at TBGRI. Pp. 104,128 colour photographs,1 painting,1 graph,1 map. India: Kerala, Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI), Palode, Thiruvananthapuram 695562. Price Rs. 600; US $ 30 (postage & handling free). ISBN 978-81-920098-0-3 (soft cover).
摇摇
This book tells the story of the establishment of a bambusetum at the Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute in the state of Kerala in southern India. Started in 1987 by the author, it could be held up as a model of thoroughness in building up a living bamboo collection. Scrupulous care was taken to document all introductions and their location in the Garden. Although only 68 species are represented, great effort was taken to acquire a diversity of genotypes within them amounting to 933 different accessions. This diversity is
valuable for understanding specific variability, flowering cycles, and selecting the best clones for different uses. It is also indispensable for bamboo breeding which they have ventured into and have successfully produced 12 hybrids. For each species, the information on nomenclature, description, distribution, live collections, location, planting date, propagule and provenance, dried specimens are given in detail. The species descriptions are focused on the vegetative characters, which are very useful for identification. Many photographs are helpful but some species don忆t have close up pictures of the new shoots which are so important in identifying species in a vegetative state. A number of species of Pseudoxytenanthera and Ochlandra, native to south India, which are seldom illustrated in bamboo books, are depicted here. This book is a wonderful record of the live bamboo collection at TBGRI and a useful reference for understanding the conservation of the bamboo genetic diversity. It is a very useful handbook for bamboo researchers, collectors, growers as well as amateurs.
Prof. Dr. Xia Nianhe
Curator of the Living Collection
South China Botanical Garden
Chinese Academy of Sciences
