6 Biographical Memoir of Dr. Rottler. [No 11, new seeies. 



to the Geology of the Peninsula : and he states* in the preface 

 to his Tracts that the Botanical names which occur in them were 

 given on the authority of Dr. Rottler, for the correctness of 

 which he strongly vouches. 



It was not merely as a collector of plants that we find Rottler 

 aiding in the study of Botany ; his scientific descriptions of the 

 plants which he distributed were accepted, by European Botanists? 

 and published in their notes, more especially by Willdenow.t 



It is no disparagement to find that he was surpassed in this 

 respect by those Botanists who devoted their exclusive attention 

 to the science in the midst of much more favorable circumstances. 



Dr. Wight says : — " The plants distributed by Rottler were in 

 "Part characterized very imperfectly by himself in the 4th Volume 

 of the Nova Acta Acad. Nat. Curiosorum of Berlin, published in 

 1803. Others were described by Willdenow, Vahl and Smith ; 

 and frequently a new name has been bestowed without any re- 

 gard to that given by Rottler' J 



The esteem of Dr. Roxburgh has also perpetuated the name of 

 Rottler in another shape, (See his Flora Indica, iii. 827,) by giv- 

 ing that name to one of the numerous genera of the Euphorbiceoe, 

 containing according to Dr. Lindley's || list two sub-genera; and 

 embracing in Buchanan Hamilton's Herbarium,^ eleven distinct In- 

 dian species, one of which Rottlera tinctoria is in great request in 

 India, especially amongst Mahomedans, for dyeing purposes, and 

 as an article of commerce, and is still farmed by Government. 

 Bridil has also given Rottler's name to one of the subgenera of 

 the Bryacece.§ 



The name ' Rottlera' was also given by Vahlff to one of the 

 Cyrtandracece : but this has since been superseded. 



Rottler suffered much in health during the early years of his re - 



* Preface p. viii. 



t AVilldenow's Edition of the Species Piantamrn ofLinnceus. 

 X W. and A. Prod. Pref. p. xii. 

 || Vegetable Kingdom, p. 281. 



% Now in the Botanical collection of the University of Edinburgh. 

 § Vegetable Kingdom, p, 67. 

 if Enumeratio v. 187. 



