530.182 
re Relea Is 
WITH the advent of Union and the ever-increasing demands made by the public for 
information regarding the vegetable resources of the country, its plant poisons, and plant 
pests, considerable stimulus has been given to botanical research in South Africa. 
One of the results of the progress made has been the establishment of the National 
Herbarium at Pretoria under the Department of Agriculture. 
The National Herbarium now embraces all the more important private collections in 
the country, including those of Mr. E. E. Galpin, the late Mr. H. G. Flanagan, Madame A. 
Dieterlen’s Basutoland herbarium, Miss A. Pegler’s Kentani plants, Madame J. Borle’s 
collections from Portuguese Kast Africa, and Mr. EK. G. Bryant’s plants from the Prieska 
and Hay Districts. 
It also possesses the largest collection of South African fungi in existence, amongst 
which may be mentioned a large number of specimens of the superficial ascomycetes 
affecting our forest trees, and the original collections of Dr. Medley Wood, including a 
number of type specimens, while to it have been bequeathed the valuable cryptogamic 
collections of Dr. T. R. Sim; Tyson’s collections of marine algae, including his private 
herbarium, have also been acquired by purchase. 
A vast amount of material has thus been accumulated, and the special work which 
has been done on it in the past few years makes it very necessary and desirable that it 
should be published and made available to workers in other parts of the country. Con- 
sequently it has been decided to issue from time to time as occasion demands a publication 
which will consist of contributions from the National Herbarium. 
In view of the great agricultural development which has taken place in South Africa 
since Union, and bearing in mind that much of this was due to the policy and influence 
of the first Union Premier and Minister for Agriculture—the late General Botha—no more 
fitting name for the official organ of the National Herbarium could be found than that of 
“ BOTHALTA.” 
Bothalia is intended primarily as the medium for the publication of papers and 
monographs based on the material in the National Herbarium, presenting new facts and 
items of general interest. 
It will include descriptions of new or little known plants, cryptogamic and phanero- 
gamic, and it is hoped will mark a further step in the progress of botanical science in 
South Africa. 
I. B. POLE EVANS. 
Pretoria, 
Ist January, 1921.. 
