Flora of USSR

The monumental Flora URSS comprises 30 volumes and 2 separate indexes. Vol. I was published in the end of 1933, while the entire publication was completed in August, 1964. The Flora URSS numbers about 22000 pages containing the descriptions of all the higher plants of the Soviet Union (except Bryophyta), viz. 160 families, 1676 genera and 17520 species. Besides, many widespread cultivated species are described, although not listed. Over 10% of the species listed in the Flora URSS are new to science. The work is illustrated with 10000 original drawings on 1250 plates. The article deals with the following information about the Flora URSS: the scientific characteristics of the work (the concepts of race, species and phylogenetic series; the scope and distribution of the material, the area embraced etc.); the general evaluation; the status and the prospects of the development of the Komarov's concept of species, etc. A special section is devoted to some results ensuing from the accounts of taxa published in the Flora URSS. The data on the number of genera and species of each of the families described are presented in tables and so are the data on endemic genera and on the genera established by Soviet botanists.