11 



When one considers that for nearly two years the work of the Forestry 

 Bureau in Manila has been based almost entirely on the native names for 

 the various tree species — a system of names extremely variable in English- 

 speaking countries but much more variable and unreliable in the Philip- 

 pines — the necessity for the present work is evident. Owing to the great 

 number of different dialects spoken, a single species has often been found 

 to have eight, ten, twelve, or even fifteen different recorded native names. 

 To further complicate matters, the same name is often applied to totally 

 unrelated species in various sections of the Archipelago. Therefore, in 

 order to establish a firm basis for the study and classification of the Phil- 

 ippine forest trees, it is absolutely essential to first learn the proper scien- 

 tific names in order that the published articles on the use and value of 

 the many species may become available. Take, for example, the Tagalog 

 word "Molave," the most common of the thirteen recorded native names, 

 applied to the valuable timber tree Vitex littoralis Decne. To anyone 

 outside of the Philippine Islands this name conveys no meaning, and 

 even to one in the Philippines the native name alone would be of no value 

 whatever if he wished to look up the notes and articles that have been 

 published regarding this species and to ascertain whether or not it is to 

 be found in the markets of the world, what are its common names, if any, 

 in such markets, its value, uses, etc. With the scientific name once de- 

 termined, however, all the notes regarding this timber tree that have been 

 published in English, German, Dutch, French, or Spanish, at once be- 

 come available. 



The question of naming the greater part of the Philippine material 

 would be a comparatively simple one if there existed in Manila a good 

 botanical library and herbarium. Until such institutions are established, 

 the greater part of the work on the Philippine flora must be done at the 

 great botanical centers in Europe, especially at Kew, Berlin, Paris, and 

 Leyden, for at the botanical institutions in these places is to be found 

 practically all the Philippine material that has been collected in the past. 

 In the United States the Philippine material is very limited. The plants 

 of the Wilkes United States Exploring Expedition are to be found at the 

 Gray Herbarium, the United States National Museum, and the New 

 York Botanical Garden. A partial set of Cuming's Philippine collection 

 is at the Gray Herbarium, a partial set of Haenke's material at the St. 

 Louis Botanical Garden, and a set of A. Loher's more recent collection is 

 in the United States National Herbarium. The collection of the Spanish 

 Forestry Commission, which was destroyed by fire in 1897, contained over 

 4,000 specimens of Philippine plants, collected by Serior Vidal, the chief 

 of the commission, and named by him, with the collaboration of Mr. 

 Rolfe of the royal gardens at Kew, England, a partial set of Cuming's 

 Philippine material collected in the years 1836-1840, distributed by the 

 British Museum, and many specimens from British India, the Malayan 

 Archipelago, etc. To this botanical collection was added a very complete 



