24 



RUMPHIUS'S HERBARIUM AMBOINENSE 



with forms that Rumphius considered were placed in one series, 

 and those that could not be referred to Rumphian species were 

 placed in another. As material was matched with forms named 

 and described by Rumphius, such species were checked on a 

 special list. The two series established by Doctor Robinson in 

 the field have been the basis of the two series into which the 

 collections were finally divided for purposes of study. The 

 specimens that could certainly or with a fair degree of cer- 

 tainty be referred to Rumphian species were placed in the 

 series "Plantae Rumphianae Amboinenses," thus cited in the 

 present work, while the remainder were placed in the series 

 ' 'Reliquiae Robinsonianae" and are the basis of a separate re- 

 port.* Of the Plantae Rumphianae Amboinenses, the labels of 

 which bear both the Rumphian name and reference and the 

 binomial as determined by the accepted code of nomenclature, 

 there are about 600 numbers; of the Reliquiae Robinsonianae, 

 including the cellular cryptogams, there are about 960 numbers. 

 In arranging this material and in its critical study, a few speci- 

 mens have been transferred from one series to the other. In 

 both series collections made at different dates and with separate 

 field numbers have been combined when presenting the same 

 stage of development and unquestionably representing the same 

 form. The data compiled by Doctor Robinson, as a result of his 

 field observations and the comparison of the fresh material with 

 the Rumphian descriptions, has been of immense value in the 

 preparation of the present work. 



During the prosecution of his field work in Amboina, it became 

 evident to Doctor Robinson that he could not expect to find all 

 the forms figured and described by Rumphius, nor even all of 

 those that were from Amboina. In his progress report, written 

 from day to day, he frequently mentioned the slow progress 

 of the work and his disappointment in not being able to locate 

 this or that species. He commenced his field work with the 

 idea of taking specimens only from plants found in flower or 

 in fruit, but he occasionally collected single specimens from 

 sterile plants for purpose of check. It is evident that he had 

 located a number of species described by Rumphius of which he 

 collected no botanical material, but which he was watching in 

 the hope that he could later find them in flower or in fruit. At 

 various times he indicated his purpose to collect sterile material 

 of the species that he could not find in flower or in fruit before 



* Merrill, E. D. Reliquiae Robinsonianae. Philip. Journ. Sci. 11 (1916) 

 Bot. 243-319. 



