A checklist for the vascular plants of Lao PDR

Over 40% of the primary forest in Lao PDR remains but this is under increasing pressure. Floristic diversity is poorly known and botanical work almost non-existent. This checklist is the outcome of a programme aimed at training some 30 Laotians participants in tropical taxonomy through field work and herbarium base work. One of the outputs of this project is this checklist which has more than 4800 species from 232 families. Of these, 3,688 are supported by at least one of the 9,500 specimens recorded in the National Species Database – records for the remaining species are based on reliable literature sources. The database is expected to be available on-line in the near future.