INTRODUCTION, I 
drawn during the score of years that I devoted to the study of the flora 
of Formosa. My readers will, I hope, accept the latter paper as my concluding 
remarks 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. In the Academiy’s 
rmal statement of the reasons for the award, a résume of my work was 
yen. I trust I may be pardoned if I take the liberty of quoting the 
statement herein as my formal remarks upon the series. 
An abstract of the reasons submitted for the award of the Prince Katsura Commemoration 
Prize to Bunzo Hayata, D. Se. for his studies on the flora of Formosa.* 
"Many years have passed since Dr. Havata first undertook the study of the flora of Formose, 
‘}first visit to the island was made in 1900 and since then he has gone there many tims 
, the collection of materials and for the examination of vegetation. When he was still a student 
40 the College of Science, he published several papers relating to the flora of that island. Later, 
in the course of his studies in the University Hall, he wrote “Enumeratio Plantarum Formos 
sanarum ” in conjunction with Prof. J. Matsumura, and later “Flora Montana Formose” and 
“Materials for a flora of Formosa.” During that period, he frequently contributed papers on tle 
me subject to various periodicals in England, France ani Germany. All these ‘articles may 
“regarded as publications preparatory to the present work on Icones Plantarum, the merit of 
.fich 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, until now the eighth volume has been issued. In these volumes, he has mentioned a- 
many 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 
‘he work, his new genus Taiwania of the Conifere is to be regarded as the most interesting ; 
aie plant standing as it does a relic of an ancient flora. Since his discovery, not afew western 
‘botanists have come to the island to see this interesting Conifer. 
Now, the island 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 almost every kind of climatal and topographical features. Consequently, it is not difficult 
to imagine how extraordinarily rich must be its flora composed, as it is, of many tropical, 
temperate and even alpine, elements. This has long since attracted the attention of western 
“botanists and has led 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 was impossible to make a thorough study of this interesting flora. Although Formosa 
“had been explored by English botanists, before the acquisition of the island by Japan, such 
exploration was limited to its coastal regions. In his “List of Plants from Formosa,” Dr. A. 
Henry, who is well-known for his travels through China, gives but 1446 species. As the result 
of Dr. Hayata’s indefatigable and successful efforts, more than 2000 species 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 Imperial Academy, in the Official Gazette of 10th, May, 1920. 
+ Now (in 1920) 3,658 species, 79 varietess, 1197 genera, and 170 families. 
