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Territory from there is the Dom palm (Hyphaene thebaica), one 

 of the very curious fan palms that branches like a Pandanus. It 

 is known as the Ginger bread tree, as its fruit,, which is edible, 

 savors of ginger. The seeds brought back by the writer have 

 already germinated and the young plants should be planted in 

 a conspicuous place in some park or at the Nursery grounds, 

 where they can readily be seen. 



After .journeying through Algeria and collecting in the Atlas 

 mountains, especially near El Karitara, the writer visited the 

 famous oasis Biskra, with its wonderful date palm gardens, jour- 

 neying south to the great oasis of Tuggurt in the land of the 

 dunes. 



From Algeria he went straightway via Italy to Berlin where 

 he spent most of his time at the Royal Botanical Museum working 

 up the Hillebrand collection, making drawings of the types, etc. 

 For the purpose of determining some of the more difficult 

 Hawaiian genera, Herbarium material was forwarded from Hono- 

 lulu to Berlin, which the writer compared with the Hillebrand, 

 Wawra, and Chamisso collections at the Royal Botanical Museum. 

 The authorities of the latter institution presented the Herbarium 

 with almost a complete collection of Hawaiian plants, containing 

 portions of types and co-types from the Hillebrand collection. 

 This, with the co-types from the Asa Gray collection, generously 

 given by the Gray Herbarium, Cambridge, Massachusetts, makes 

 the Herbarium of your Board, now in the safe keeping of the 

 College of Hawaii, the most complete and valuable collection of 

 Hawaiian plants in the world. 



Respectfully submitted, 



JOSEPH F. ROCK, 



Consulting Botanist. 



