n 
HISTORY OF THE BOTANICAL 
result of a copious fall of rain which had occurred about three weeks 
before my visit, and which bad brought most of the plants into flower 
and imparted a slight tint of green to many of the least sterile 
valleys.” 1 2 
In 1860 Anderson published his Florula Adenensis from the materials 
collected by Edgeworth, J. D. Hooker, Thomson, Madden, Schom- 
burgk and himself. He enumerated and described 91 species and 
amongst these 11 for the first time. It becomes quite evident from a 
perusal of his Florula that he spoke the full truth when he wrote : “ Most 
of the plants have required a careful comparison with a large suite of 
specimens from various localities, and the consultation of a formidable 
array of works on Indian and Arabian botany, in order to determine 
their synonymy and geographical distribution.”* 
It is interesting to hear him relate how he got up the synonymy of 
Fagonia cretica , Linn. He says : “ I have devoted several days on two 
occasions to the examination of a most extensive suite of authentic speci- 
mens of the many described species of this genus, and both times I ar- 
rived at the same conclusion—that there is but one species. The Kew 
Herbarium contains about 400 specimens of Fagonia ; and these I 
attempted to divide into De Candolle's two sections, of leaves simple and 
leaves trifoliate. The result of this first apportioning was, that the 
one-leaved section contained only ten specimens, while 390 remained 
in the section with trifoliate leaves. The ten simple- leaved specimens 
belonged to the following species : 2 of F. cretica , Linn.; I of F. Ohveri , 
DC.; 2 of F. Myriacantha , Boiss.j 1 of F parviflora , Boiss., and 4 of F. 
subinermis , Boiss. The remaining 390 specimens, all of which were 
more or less trifoliate, included all the described species of Fagonia . The 
next step was the selection from the 390 specimens of all the individuals 
in which trifoliate leaves alone occurred. These amounted to 123 speci- 
mens, leaving 267 as intermediate with the simple-leaved and trifoliate 
sections.” 3 In this way he continued till, finally, he came to the conclu- 
sion, that all the described species ought to be considered as varieties of 
one variable species. This is only one typical case, but it is sufficient to 
show, how conscientious and painstaking Anderson was in the composition 
of his book. 
On the other hand his labours have been greatly lightened by daily 
reference to William Hooker's unrivalled herbarium and rich library. 
1 T. Anderson, Florula Adenensis. A systematic account, with descriptions of the 
flowering plants hitherto found at Aden. Journ, of Proc. Linn. Soc. Vol. V. (1860), Suppl., 
p. iv. 
2 Anderson, 1. c. p. v. 
8 Anderson, 1. e. p. 12 . 
