ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
BULLETIN 
OF 
MISCELLANEOUS. INFORMATION. 
Nos. 111-112.] MARCH and APRIL. [1896. 
DVII.—BOTANY OF FORMOSA. 
The island of Taiwan —known to Europeans as Formosa—lies 90 miles 
east from the coast of the Chinese province of Fu-djen. It is about 
150 miles from the seaport of Amoy and contains an area of 15,000 
square miles and an estimated pipera of 2,000,000. The back bone 
of the island is formed of a range of densely wooded mountains 
sine several peaks, the highest, Mount Morrison, reaching a niet 
of n arly 13,000 feet. triking feature of the western side of the 
island i is the rapidity with iii thé land i is gaining on the sea. re 
old Dutch picture shows Fort Zelandia with richly laden argosies of the 
Dutch East voter Company drawing many feet of water anchored close 
about 75° Fah. for the whole year, about 72? for the seven cool m 
and about 83° for the remainder.” ‘There are two treaty ports, Tamsui 
and Tainan. Tea was exported = 1893 to the extent of 22,000,000 
pounds, Sugar is produced in moderately large ee but the 
quality is inferior. Camphor is rapidily becoming a considerable 
industry. “Coal is spread almost all over the island.” 
These T my taken from a Foreign Office — on Formosa 
prepared by N. Perkins, Assistant in Her M ajesty's aee 
Service, rr ae - Anping (Tainan), in the south of pe island (F. 
Commercial No. 1, 1896).. Appendix B, attached to this report, nen 
a singularly Tec dh the flora é and economie botanyof Formosa, 
Mr. Augustine Henry, F.L.S. who is well known for his extensive 
accou 
The materials on which our knowledge of Formosan plants ‘is based 
all practically lie in the Kew and British Maseum herbaria, there being 
little in Continental or American institutions. ‘lhe ndex 
fh Sinensis," now being published in pin by the Linnean oen 
has utilised these materials to some extent only, for since the appear- 
ance of M earlier parts especially gr collections have been sent to 
Kew, w re as yet unworked. adequate account of the flora 
u 91285.  1875.—8[96. Wt. ib x 
