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The Himalayas, literally meaning as ‘abode of snow’, is a 2500 km long arc-shaped mountain range which is not only jewelled with snow-clad peaks and glaciers but also wide extended lush-green forests harbouring one of the most biodiversity-rich regions on the earth. The entire Himalayas has also been included amongst 35 Global Biodiversity Hotspots. The diverse ecosystems of the Himalayas are not only not only present beautiful landscapes, but also play important role in global atmospheric circulation, the hydrological cycle, and water resources availability, and provide a wide range of ecosystem services to the local inhabitants. Comprehensive information on plant diversity, particularly on taxonomy, correct identity and distribution is sorely needed.

The information is provided in two parts. All the families are arranged alphabetically. Part 1 deals with the families Acanthaceae to Nymphaeaceae while part 2 deals with the families Nyssaceae to Zingiberaceae. Valid names are given in bold while the basionyms of synonyms are given in italics. The checklist is divided into dicotyledons and monocotyledons, families within groups, genera within families and species and infra-specific taxa within genera are arranged alphabetically under each genus for the sake of convenience; at the end of the text, an index to the family names is also included.