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The Flora of Tamil Nadu has been under preparation by the Southern Circle of the Botanical Survey of India since 1978. It is proposed to bring out the Analysis of the vascular flora in 3 volumes under Series I, followed by the Systematic Treatment under Series II. During the 50 years that have elapsed since the publication of Flora of the Presidency of Madras by Gamble (and Fischer), our knowledge of Botany of the area has largely increased. Several botanists have studied the flora of Tamil Nadu and have been able to discover many taxa new to Science and also several new records. The progress of botanical exploration in the unexplored and underexplored areas of this State for floristic studies has been speeded up by the establishment of the Southern Circle of the Botanical Survey of India, at Coimbatore in the year 1955, and many new taxa have been described and several new records for the State have been made. Many rare and endangered species were also discovered from the State after a lapse of several decades; descriptions of many imperfectly known taxa were also provided. The nomenclature of the plants has been brought up-to-date in this Series by strict adherence to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (1978); further every attempt was made to check the identity of plants, and to evaluate the correct circumscription and taxonomic status of the taxa concerned based on recent revisions/monographs. Some of these aspects will be dealt with in detail in the Systematic Treatment of the Flora. In the present volume about 2000 angiospermic taxa are analysed. The Plan of the Analysis is given after the Introductory Chapter. This treatise, we are sure, will provide accurate and adequate data for a revision of the flora of India. Further, to have a detailed knowledge of the plant wealth of the country floras of the States/regions should be prepared.