INrRODUCTION. UI 



drawn during the scoro of yenrs that I devoted to the study of the flora 

 of Formosa. My readers will, I hope, accept the latter paper as my concluding 

 reraarks on the flora of that island and also on systematic botany generally. 



Here I desire to add just a few lines of a more personal nature. In the 

 spring of this year, it was recognized by the Imperial Academy that, since 

 1900, I had been devoting myself to the study of the flora of Formosa, and 

 by the same Academy I was awarded the Prince Katsura Commemoration 

 Prize, principally for the merit of the volumes on Icones Plantarum, then 

 published, being the first eight volumes of the series. la the Academy'8 

 formal statement of the reasons for the award, a resume of my work was 

 given. I trust I may be pardoned if I take the libarty of quoting the 

 statement herein as my formal remarks upon the series. 



An abfjtract of the reasons submitted for the award of the Prince Katsttra Commemoration 

 Prize to Bunzo Hayata, D. Sc. for his studies on the flora of Formosa.* 



Many years have jMissed since Dr. Hayata first undertook the study of the flora of Formosn. 

 His first visit to the island was made in 1900 ancl since then he has gone there many timts 

 f or the collection of materials and for the cxamination of vegetation. When he was still a student 

 in the C!ollege of Fcience, he ptiblished several impers relating to the flora of that island. Latcr, 

 in the course of his stiKlies in the Univorsity Hall, he wrote " Enumeratio Plantarom Formo» 

 ■sananim " in conjunction with Prof . J. Matsumtjra, an:l later " Flora Montana Formosfe " and 

 " Materials for a flora of Formosa." During that period, he frequently contributed papers on the 

 «ame subject to various periodicals in England, France and (Jennany. AU these •.articles may 

 be regarded as publlcations preparatory to the present work on Iconas Plantarum, the merit of 

 which is the principal reason for awarding him the Prize. 



The first volume of the work appeared in 1911, and since then he has continued the publi- 

 cation, unlil now the eighth vohime ha.s been issued. In these volames, he has mentioned n- 

 inany as 3458 species, 74 varieties, 1174 genera and 169 families,t of which he has described 

 more than 1200 species and four genera that are new to science. Of many discoveries mentioned 

 in the work, his new genus Taiwanui of the Coniferas is to be regarded as the most interesting ; 

 the plant standing as it does a reUc of an ancient flora. Since his discovery, not a few westem 

 botanists have come to the island to see this interesting Conifer. 



Now, the islancl of Formosa lying directly under the Tropic of Cancer, and possessing many 

 mountain ranges culminating in a peak more than ten thousand feet above the level of the sea, 

 presents ahnost every Idnd of cUmatal and topographical features. Consequently, it is not difficult 

 to imagine how extraordinarily rich mtist be its flora comixjsed, as it is, of many tropical, 

 temjierate and even alpine, elements. This has long since attracted the attention of westem 

 botanists and hns lerl them to undertake the exploration of the island. But, the climatic and 

 sanitary conditions were so very bad there and the head-hunters in the interior still so active 

 that it wfts imix)ssible to make a thorough study of this interesting flora. Although Formosa 

 had been explored by EngUsh lx)tanists, before the aoquisition of the island by Japan, such 

 exploration was limited to its coa.stal regions. In his " List of Plants from Formosa," Dr. A. 

 HEXiiv, who is weU-known for his travels through China, gives but 1446 species. As the result 

 of Dr. Hayata'3 indefatigable and siiccessfiil efforts, more than 2000 sjoedes have been added to 

 that number. It may, therefore, be well said that Formosa, which was formerly regarded as 



* Published by the authority of the Imj^erial Academy, in the Official Gazette of lOth, May, 1920. 

 t Xow (in 1920) 3,658 species, 79 varietcss, 1197 genera, and 170 famiUes. 



