(11,332) sent out on loan is indicative of the value of the Singapore Herbarium 
collections in the international study of tropical botany. Details of loans 
are listed in Appendix VI. 
XXII. TAXONOMY 
30. Dr. Chew Wee-Lek, Botanist, continued his studies towards 
preparing a monograph on the Urticaceae. He made preliminary examination 
of Piperaceae (Pepper family) with a view to starting a revision of this 
family, and continued his work on the Malaysian limestone flora and on the 
climbing plants of the Malay Peninsula. 
31. With several years of field collecting material to hand, the Director 
began a study of the marine algal genus Avrainvillea, and the aerophilous 
genus Trentepohlia. Many anatomical drawings were prepared of both genera, 
and a series of phenological observations were made on an area of 
Trentepohlia aurea growing near the Singapore Herbarium. 
32. Dr. Chang Kiaw Lan, Botanist, undertook floristic and taxonomic 
studies of local species of Agaricales and Polyporales, and a special study 
was made of a collection of Lentinus. Attempts in culturing Termitomyces, 
an edible mushroom, renowned for its high culinary value, were made. 
33. Mr. Hardial Singh, Botanist, made morphological examinations of 
the leaf sclereids of Fagraea , Raphidophora and Scindapsus with a view to 
testing these as diagnostic characters against the currently accepted taxonomy. 
Two papers on this were prepared. 
34. Two retired members of the staff, Mr. Sinclair and Dr. Furtado, 
continued to work in an honorary capacity. Mr. Sinclair completed a draft 
text for his revision of the genus Horsfieldia. Dr. Furtado undertook many 
determination, corrections of sheets in the Herbarium, supplied latin diagnoses 
of new taxa, and supervised the work of the Colombo Plan Fellow, Mr. 
Montien Srisuko, who was engaged on a revision of the genus Lager stroemia. 
Mr. Montien’s work was well advanced by the end of the year. 
35. The Department has worked in the closest collaboration with the 
Flora Malesiana Foundation of Leiden, and has assisted the Departments of 
Forests, Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah and the Rubber Research Institute of 
Malaya, commercial organisations, schools, other local bodies and private 
individuals with determinations. 
HORTICULTURE 
XXIII. GARDENS MAINTENANCE 
36. The labour force carried out their duties satisfactorily. Nurserymen 
and specialist workers were fully occupied with the maintenance of collections 
and propagation. The work of the general gang which in recent years has 
become loaded with duties not previously done by it fell somewhat in arrears. 
