Endemic Plants of the Altai Mountain Country

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), under its 'Living Planet Campaign', has identified 200 of the Earth's most biologically outstanding habitats. One of these is the Altai-Sayan Montane Forests Ecoregion, an extraordinary mosaic of coniferous forests, intermontane steppe and alpine meadows. Half the flora of Siberia is to be found here. The team of authors has surveyed over 300 endemic plants, many important for medicine or food, to plug a gap in a poorly-studied region, and as such the work represents a testament to international scientific collaboration. Many species have been photographed for the first time.

This book describes 288 endemic and subendemic plants of the Altai Mountain Range, over 30 of which have been found and named by the contributors to this book. 100 of the species are treated with detailed species accounts, including descrioption, flowering times, distribution, habitat, conservation status, threats and cultivation. Summary details are given for 188 species.