Vascular Plants of Afghanistan: An Augmented Checklist

By Siegmar-Walter Breckle, Ian Charles Hedge, Mohammad Daud Rafiqpoor – This book, written mainly in English, partly in Dari, gives a synoptic overview of all the known  vascular plants in Afghanistan. It is the fi rst augmented checklist for the country and was compiled from many information sources, recent and old, especially Flora Iranica (1963 ff.). It is a  natural follow-up to the profusely illustrated Field Guide Afghanistan (BRECKLE & RAFIQPOOR, 2010). Among its many attributes, the checklist enables us to state, with some confi dence, that  the total number of Afghan vascular plant species is about 5,000, a considerably higher total  than previously thought; species endemism is c. 24 %. The alphabetical sequence of taxa, fami- lies and general, the photographs and the tabular presentation of data make it user friendly for every body, not just taxonomists. The distribution maps serve different purposes even though, at this stage of our knowledge, they are inevitably a fi rst step and are, for example, an incentive for local botanists to make them more defi nitive. They also draw attention to the endemics. Likewise, the detailed nomenclatural and literature information provide a strong and accurate framework for any kind of future research and the conser vation management of the rich and varied plant life of Afghanistan.