were received from collaborating institutions, most coming from Sandakan 
(1,582 numbers), Arnold Arboretum (1,500 numbers), and Kew (1,400 
numbers). These exchanges are appreciably larger than for a number of years 
and represent valuable augmentation and dissemination of new knowledge 
regarding the Malaysian flora. Details are given in Appendix VI. 
32. Loans sent out to specialists on the Flora Malesiana project 
numbered 2,917 sheets, while officers of the department borrowed 2,055 sheets 
from other institutions. 
XVIII. TAXONOMY 
33. Mr. J. Sinclair continued his work on Malaysian Myristicaceae 
(Nutmeg family) in collaboration with the Flora Malesiana Foundation. While 
on vacation leave in Europe he spent at his own expense two months working 
at the Kew herbarium, ten days at Edinburgh, ten days at Geneva and eight 
days at Florence studying classical collections and other important material. 
As a result of this work, some corrections and alterations had to be made 
to his draft text on the genus Myristica which he had prepared in Singapore 
before going to Europe. On his return to Singapore he spent the rest of the 
year incorporating new material and making necessary amendments to his 
text, but the demolition of the herbarium seriously hampered the progress of 
this work. 
34. Dr. Chew Wee Lek continued his studies on the genera Laportea 
and Fleurya in the family Urticaceae (nettle family). Satisfactory progress has 
been made since obtaining the loan of type material from Kew and of a 
quantity of material from the Arnold Arboretum. As this work progressed 
it became apparent that these two genera had to be studied on a world basis 
as an acceptable taxonomic revision cannot be prepared on the regional 
representatives only. 
35. Mr. Hardial Singh, who joined the Department towards the end of 
the year, took up a study of the family Araceae, which if pursued to its 
fulness is a life time study. Miss Chang Kiaw Lan continued her work on the 
fungal order Agaricales while studying at Cambridge University. Mr. H. M. 
Burkill, when administrative demands permitted, continued his collecting of 
marine algae. 
36. Dr. Furtado, though in retirement, has continued to work in the 
Department making use of the herbarium and library facilities. He has made 
some interesting literary research into the origin of the word ‘Cocos’ which 
will be published in The Gardens Bulletin. He has prepared a similar paper 
on ‘Malayan Ornamental Palms’ which has been published in Prineipes 1 (1) 
1963. 
37. Mr. Munir Ahmad abid Chaudhry (see para. 7) has begun a study 
of the genus Petraeovitex. 
XIX. U.N.E.S.C.O. VISITING COMMITTEE FOR 
TROPICAL HERBARIA 
38. This Committee, whose function it is to advise U.N.E.S.C.O. on the 
state of preservation, upkeep and use made of collections of plant specimens 
7 
