India is one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world, yet the taxonomic inventory of its biota is far from complete. The aim of this publication is to identify and describe the mangrove plant species found in India. To achieve this objective, the taxonomic identity and distribution of mangrove species in the country have been revised and described.

During field investigations, each species of mangrove and associated plants were identified and sampled. For each species, description and high-resolution image material are provided, which facilitates easy identification. This information is crucial for coastal management planning and policy development, particularly in relation to shoreline rehabilitation and the expansion of appropriate shoreline livelihood projects in the face of climate change and sea level rise.

Additionally, the global distribution of each mangrove species and its conservation status is presented. Voucher specimens of all the mangrove species discussed in the text have been deposited at CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute in Lucknow (LWG), as well as Annamalai University and regional centers of the Botanical Survey of India, to serve as reference collections for the country.

P. Ragavan: is a National Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

T. S. Rana: is presently working as a Chief Scientist, Area Coordinator & Head in Plant Diversity, Systematics and Herbarium Division at CSIR-National Botanical Research institute, Lucknow, Uttar, India

P.M. Mohan: is Professor of Marine Biology at Pondicherry University. K. Ravichandran: is the Chief Conservator of Forests in the Department of Environment and Forests, Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli, India

K. Kathiresan: has spent practically most of his career on mangroves. He is Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in Marine Biology and is currently an honorary professor in Annamalai University, Tamil NAdu, India

Alok Saxena: is retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Andaman & Nicobar Administration. Currently working as Senior Consultant at Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, Uttarakhand,India.

R.S.C. Jayaraj: is presently the Director of Rain Forest Research Institute, Jorhat, Assam, India

T. Mageswaran: is working as a scientist in the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Tamil Nadu, India

Part-1 Mangroves An overview: Mangrove Definition, Specialization in Mangroves,  Structural diversity in Mangroves,Leaf diversity in Mangroves, Bark diversity in Mangroves, Root diversity in Mangroves, Flower diversity in Mangroves,Reproductive diversity in Mangroves Part-2 Mangrove Floristics of the World, Origin and diversification, Floristic Composition, Global Distribution Mangrove species richness in IWP,  Genetic diversity, Mangrove Forest Structure, Zonation  Part-3 Mangroves of India ,Distribution of Mangroves in India, Mangrove Floristics of India, Description of Mangrove species Part-4 State-wise Glimpses of Indian Mangroves, Part-5 Significance of Mangroves, Biodiversity, Nursery habitat, Costal Protection, Livelihood Generation, Climate Change adaption and Mitigation Carbon, Storage Potential, Bio-prospecting Part-6 Conservation and Management ,Threats, Legislative measures,Restoration and Rehabilitation, Effectiveness of existing measures, Need of the hour, Strategies needed, Future directions.