K. S. Manilal

Kattungal Subramaniam Manilal (17 September 1938 – 1 January 2025) was an Indian botany scholar and taxonomist, emeritus professor of the University of Calicut, a botany scholar and taxonomist, who devoted over 35 years of his life to research, translation and annotation work of the Latin botanical treatise Hortus Malabaricus. This epic effort brought to light the main contents of the book, a wealth of botanical information on Malabar that had largely remained inaccessible to English-speaking scholars, because the entire text was in the Latin language.

In January 2020, Manilal was conferred with the Padma Shri award, the fourth-highest civilian honour in India, for his contribution to the field of Science and Engineering.

Despite the existence of Hendrik van Rheede's Hortus Malabaricus over the last three centuries, the correct taxonomic identity of many plants listed in Hortus Malabaricus, their medicinal properties, methods of use, etc., as described and codified by renowned traditional medical authorities of 17th-century India remained inaccessible to English language based scholars, until Manilal commenced publication of research papers and books on Hortus Malabaricus.

Manilal's efforts ultimately resulted in an English edition of Hortus Malabaricus, for the first time, 325 years after its original publication from Amsterdam. The English edition contains a word by word translation of all the twelve volumes of the book, retaining the original style of language. Medicinal properties of plants are translated and interpreted, with commentaries on their Malayalam names given by Van Rheede. In addition, the correct scientific identity of all plants, acceptable under ICBN is set out along with their important synonyms and basionyms.

Whilst the scope of Manilal's contributions to botany extends far beyond the research and publications around Hortus Malabaricus, his research work on Hortus Malabaricus alone is of botanical and socio-historic significance, and can be broadly classified under two heads:

• Botanical and Medicinal aspects of Hortus Malabaricus; and
• Historical, Political, Social and Linguistic aspects of Hortus Malabaricus.

Manilal has over 198 published research papers and 15 books to his credit as author and co-author. He and his associates have credits for discovering over 14 species of flowering plants, varieties and combinations new to science. Dr. Manilal was the Founder President of the Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy (IAAT).