INTRODUCTION. 



XUl 



the plant is endemic, i. e. confined to the Malay Peninsula. The 

 number of these endemics is exceptionally large, being upwards of 

 3000 species, or about half the species recorded. But the adjacent 

 lands, especially Sumatra, west and south Borneo and the southern 

 Siamese regions, have as yet been very scantily explored, and 

 further investigations will probably reduce the number of endemics 

 considerably. 



Owing to the very extensive clearing of the forests, especially in 

 Singapore and Malacca and parts of Selangor and Johor, since the 

 evolution of the cultivated rubber industry, a certain number of 

 species have been either rendered very rare or probably entirely 

 exterminated. Considerable areas which in 1890 were covered with 

 a continuous almost impenetrable forest, probably now would not 

 be found to bear a single indigenous plant. 



All flowering plants known certainly to occur or to have occurred 

 in the peninsula in a wild state are recorded and described, as well 

 as all aliens which have established themselves sufficiently to pro- 

 pagate themselves naturally, but plants only known to occur in 

 gardens are excluded, though the more conspicuous and well-known 

 garden plants are mentioned where necessary. 



Names of Places. — The names of localities given are in most cases 

 readily found on the map of the Malay Peninsula as published by 

 the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, but I have failed to 

 trace a few given by Kunstler and Scortechini. The latter collector 

 seldom gave any specific locality on his collecting tickets, and his 

 spelling and script where he did so make it difficult to identify his 

 localities, e. g. one locality often given by him is quoted in books as 

 Horum ; I have reason to believe this means Arang Para near Gunong 

 Bubu, in Perak. In a few cases I have given the English name 

 instead of the Malay name where it is better known, e. g. Kedah 

 Peak for Gunong Jerai, and Mt. Ophir for Gunong Ledang. The 

 latter mountain is all through referred to Malacca territory, as it 

 always was formerly included in Malacca ; politically, however, it is 

 now in the State of Johor. 



The following Malay words for localities, etc., are constantly 

 used : — 



Hill 



