In my Africa: a guide to reference material (London, Hans Zell, 1993), works relating to the biological sciences were deliberately excluded. In order to fill a part of this gap, I am producing a series of lists of major reference sources relating to African flora and fauna. “Birds of Africa: a guide to reference material” was published in ARD, 75, 1997, 12-38 with a supplement in ARD, 80, 1999, 35-37 while “Mammals of Africa: guide to reference material” was published in ARD, 77, 1998, 20-38.

The continent of Africa is normally considered to fall within three of the various floristic realms or kingdoms into which botanists have found it convenient to divide the world.