The Republic of Mauritius and the Indian Ocean Islands are home to plants with ornamental, medicinal and other properties. Among them are endemic as well as exotic plants and yet these plants growing in our midst are generally unknown.
This guide, with appropriate illustrations, will help plant enthusiasts to better identify and learn about this magnificent and unique flora. Several species have been listed. The different headings give the botanical names, common names, a description, the origins and distribution, the etymology of the names and additional information.
The book includes 550 colour photos showcasing 400 plants from 96 different families.
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, PhD, DSc, scientist, entrepreneur and former President of the Republic of Mauritius, has always been interested in plants from Indian Ocean countries. She documented traditional information on the use of local plants and has undertaken research to validate their ethnobotanical information.
She is the author of several books on the plant biodiversity of Mauritius and the Indian Ocean and her work has been published nationally and internationally. Member of several scientific academies, she has been the recipient of several awards including: L'Oréal-UNESCO Prize for Women and Science (2007); and the African Union Special Prize for Women and Science (2009), the American Botanical Council Norman Farnsworth Excellence in Botanical Research Award (2015) among others.