TfiE Philippine Journal of Science, C. Botany. 
Vol. VII, No. 2. June, 1912. 
SERTULUm BONTOCENSE. 
NEW OR INTERESTING PLANTS COLLECTED IN 
BONTOC SUBPROVINCE, LUZON, BY FATHER 
MORICE VANOVERBERGH. 
By E. D. Merrill. 
{From the Botanical Section of the Biological Laboratory, Bureau of Science, 
Manila, P. I.) 
In the year 1909 Father Morice Vanoverbergh, who had re- 
cently come to the Philippines from Belgium, was assigned to 
the mission station at Bauco, Bontoc Subprovince, Luzon, and 
shortly after his arrival there entered into correspondence with 
the writer in regard to botanical matters. Father Vanover- 
bergh having .expressed his deep interest in the study of botany, 
and a desire to become acquainted with the flora of the region 
in which he was located, an offer was made to determine, so 
far as possible, whatever he might submit for identification ; 
and a small collecting outfit was sent to him. He commenced 
his botanical exploration of Bauco and vicinity in January, 1910, 
and continued it during his leisure hours until August, 1911. In 
this time he collected and transmitted to the Bureau of Science 
for determination about 1,400 numbers of plants, representing 
approximately 1,300 different species. The material was identi- 
fied from time to time as it was received, and lists of names were 
sent to the collector, with special reference to those forms of 
which additional or more complete material was desired. In 
general collections received here, there is always a certain per- 
centage of species represented which for lack of complete 
material can not be accurately determined, especially in those 
families having dioicious flowers, and in those groups where 
our classification is based on a combination of flower and fruit 
characters. Father Vanoverbergh has assiduously searched for 
the additional material required and accordingly I have been 
able to determine with a reasonable degree of accuracy a high 
percentage of the material collected by him. 
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