50 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. // 



BOTANICAL EXPLORATION IN PANAMA AND COSTA RICA 



With the cooperation of the government of the Panama Canal, 

 botanical field-work was undertaken in 1923 in the region of the 

 Zone by Mr. Paul C. Standley, associate curator of the division of 

 plants, U. S. National Museum, with the object of obtaining collec- 

 tions and data for a report upon the plant life, which it is planned 

 to publish in the near future. Part of November, December, and 

 most of January were spent in botanical exploration in and near the 

 Zone. Nearly all parts of this area were visited, and 7,000 numbers 

 of plants were obtained, represented by about twice as many speci- 

 mens. These collections are now being studied and have l>een found 

 to contain a number of species new to science, besides many not col- 

 lected previously in the area. 



The vegetation of the Zone is typical of that existing in Central 

 America at low elevations, but it is here possible to study in close 

 proximity the floras of the Atlantic and Pacific slopes, these floras 

 being sharply differentiated in Central America because of dift'erences 

 in the climates of the two watersheds. The Pacific slope has well 

 defined wet and dry seasons ; on the Atlantic slope there is usually 

 plentiful moisture throughout the year. 



Although the original vegetation of the Isthmus of Panama has 

 been greatly modified in many places because of long occupation by 

 man, and especially because of operations incident to the construction 

 and management of the Canal, there remain near the Canal extensive 

 areas of virgin forest whose animal and plant life is of great interest. 

 Advantage has been taken of this fact to establish recently a station 

 for tropical scientific research on Barro Colorado Island in Gatun 

 Lake, the island having been set aside for the purpose by the Gov- 

 ernor of the Canal. Upon this island, largely as a result of the energy 

 and enthusiasm of Mr. James Zetek, there has been constructed 

 this year a laboratory building with accommodations for students, 

 and trails have been cut to make the virgin forest, which covers 

 several hundred acres, available for study. 



The most striking botanical feature of the Canal Zone is doubtless 

 the orchid garden formed by Mr. C. W. Powell of Balboa. In this 

 collection Mr. Powell has assembled orchid plants from many parts 

 of Panama, and he has in cultivation nearly all the species known 

 to occur in the Republic. During the last ten years he has found 

 over 300 species, about three times as many as were known previously 

 from Panama, and many of them have proved to be forms unknown 

 to orchid students. 



