124. MR. W. B. HEMSLEY ON THE 
Tue Frora or Trset or Hien Asta; being a Consolidated 
Account of the various Tibetan Botanical Collections in the 
Herbarium of the Royal Gardens, Kew, together with an 
Exposition of what is known of the Flora of Tibet. By 
W. Borrine Hemstey, F.LS., F.R.S., Keeper of the 
Herbarium and Library, assisted by H. H. W. Pearson, 
M.A., F.L.S. (Contributed by permission of the Director.) 
(With Map.) 
{Read 16th January, 1902.} 
INTRODUCTION. 
On June 1, 1899, we* exhibited to the Society a selection of 
High-level Plants from various parts of the world, and made 
some remarks on their general characteristics, on the greatest 
altitudes reached by flowering plants in different latitudes, and 
on the conditions under which plants exist in such situations. 
That exhibition was intended as preliminary to an account of 
several collections of dried plants from high levels in Asia and 
South America, received at Kew during the last three or four 
years. Our final account of the Andine collections has already 
been presented to the Society, and has appeared in the present 
volume, pp. 78-90; and we now have the honour of reading 
some portions of a much more extended paper on the Flora of 
Tibet. Acting on the suggestion of the President on the occasion 
of our exhibition, we propose treating more in detail of the High- 
level Plants of the World at some future time. 
Although these collections are small, they are of great value 
and interest on account of the information accompanying the 
specimens concerning the altitude at which they were gathered, 
the colour of their flowers, and other particulars, only obtainable 
on the spot. They are also valuable as representing, in most 
* Tt should be explained that Mr. Pearson was joint author of this paper in 
the form it was first presented to the Society, but in consequence of a change 
nm his appointment he was unable to take part in the additional work involved 
in reconstructing it on the present plan. 
