

OBSERVATIONS NEEDED 283 



; 



what really is more wanting in India is that men like yourself 

 should carefully work up the floras of one or more definite 

 reas, not too large ; and also take up such cultivated plants 

 as Pennisetum typhoideum, Andropogon Sorghum, A. Nardus, 

 &c. &c, carefully note their habits and varieties over such 

 areas, and, as far as they travel, we can get specimens from 

 beyond it. Just as I told you Iris wanted it. Mr. Foster 

 [Prof, (afterwards Sir) Michael Foster, F.R.S.] has done 

 more for Indian Irises by getting people in India &c. to send 

 roots, than have all other Indian botanists put together. 

 The rage for collecting has cold-shouldered observations in 

 the field. Old Roxburgh x stands alone. 



The systematist's labours in this part of the Flora were no 

 less than in the preceding part, ' 1400 species rescued from 

 veritable chaos.' His request for more observations on the 

 Orchids was called forth by his immediate difficulties. He tells 

 Mr. Duthie (September 9, 1890) : 



I have just done Habenaria, about 100 species, and you 

 have no idea of the difficulty I have experienced in deter- 

 mining the structure of the stigmatic surfaces and processes, 

 and above all of the rostellum. Accurate drawings of this 

 latter organ would be invaluable. In some, so called, 

 Peristyles it appears to cover the pollinia glands, and, if so, 

 what becomes of the character of Orchis ? I have been off 

 and on Habenaria for now 5 years, and am very dissatisfied 

 with the result. The longer I am at it, the more I feel that 

 Fl. Br. Ind. is little better than a sweeping up of materials, 

 with approximate references and synonymy. 



The grasses were still more difficult to tackle. Morpho- 

 logically he found them very interesting, and the types of all 

 the huge Order occur in India. But the work was all micro- 

 scopical ; the only method was to draw the floral organs of 

 every species and often many specimens of each. System- 

 atically, confusion was rampant. The descriptions of the 



1 William Roxburgh (1751-1815), a botanist who, while in the Indian medical 

 service, not only collected plants, but set up an experimental station to improve 

 the cultivation of valuable plants. He was Director of the Calcutta Botanic 

 Garden from 1793 to 1813. His accurate descriptive work was made doubly- 

 valuable by his copious drawings, which were copied for Kew at the expense 

 of Sir William Hooker. 



