INTRODUCTION 37 
to include in the easiccata all species described by Blanco of 
which it was possible to secure specimens, whether proposed by 
him as new or whether correctly or incorrectly interpreted spe- 
cies of other authors. 
Still later it became apparent that the work of Llanos on the 
Philippine flora was logically to be treated in the same manner 
as that of Blanco. Llanos was a colleague of Blanco during the 
latter years of this author’s life, and was his immediate suc- 
cessor in matters pertaining to the Philippine flora. As, com- 
paratively speaking, Llanos’s work is of slight importance and 
scarcely worthy of separate consideration; as his species are 
even more obscure than are those of Blanco; and as his work 
is in the nature of a continuation of Blanco’s labors, it was later 
decided further to modify the original plan by including a critical 
consideration of Llanos’s species with those of Blanco. I have 
accordingly included in the exsiccata ‘Species Blancoanae” speci- 
mens representing Llanos’s species where their status could be 
determined with reasonable certainty, and where Petre rePy 
resenting them could be secured. 
The exsiccata “Species Blancoanae” includes 1,060 Bp dg 
the result of several years work on this problem. When the 
plan of securing this material was first adopted naturally mate- 
rial representing several hundred of the commoner and well- 
known species was quickly secured. After these were collected 
the work progressed very slowly, and toward the last resolved 
itself into special trips to specific localities, often at special 
seasons, to secure material representing individual species. Un- 
fortunately many of Blanco’s species were unknown, and the plan 
has further involved a critical study of all his descriptions of 
species of doubtful status, their identification, and then their 
collection. This has involved considerable special correspond- 
ence with various officials in many parts of the Philippines, 
special trips of exploration, and a careful survey of special 
localities mentioned by Blanco. 
It has not always been possible to secure the desired material, 
even when the exact status of a species was known. In some 
cases the species has not been found in flower or in fruit, and 
sterile material has of necessity been substituted. In other cases 
it has been very difficult to secure the desired material in suffi- 
cient quantity for a set of sixteen specimens. In the case of some 
rarely cultivated species, specimens have actually been grown 
from seeds or cuttings. Curiously some fairly well-known and 
widely distributed species have so far escaped collection in suf- 
ficient quantity for the exsiccata, although many have been re- 
