when staying at Ciuny Ejstate near Slim River in Perak, we came 
4 ’ 
upon a beautiful yellow-trumpeted forest herb in great profusion 
and we christened it the Cowslip of Ciuny, lor though it is a 
specimen cf Didymocarpus, goodness knows what its full botanical 
but 
name should be. I cannot/believe that there are many of 
* 
you who have unscientific names 'cfthe plants which you par¬ 
ticularly fancy or cultivate, and I would ask that you should 
send labelled specimens for record to the Director of Gardens, 
Singapore. The specimens can be rolled up in a newspaper 
and, if possible, should have flowers and fruits as well as 
leaves. 
During our scientific moments, nowadays, at the 
Botanical Gardens we are studying particularly the local 
varieties of Keladi, Bayam, and Tirong or Brinjal. These are 
plants of villages and agricultural land for which names are 
* * 
constantly needed, but for which vie have no adequate nomencla¬ 
ture. We rely therefore mainly on the vernacular names. 
We are growing as many varieties as possible so that vie can 
have a full knowledge of the plants and can compare them as they 
grow. In this matter we have received great help from 
Agricultural officers, especially in Perak and Kedah, who 
have sent material, and we will welcome reliable information 
- / - 
from any source* I may say that I am looking for a larger- 
fruited thorny Brinjal; it seems that these thorny varieties 
are grown in temperate countries but §paTt from the small- 
frultedthorny Trong Prat none has yet been collected in Malaya.. 
Needless to say we have already made numerous discoveries 
because very little of such detailed w T ork has been done in 
tropical Asia. 
When the vernacular names have Tgeen collected and 
rightly assigned to the botanical ones, then comes the task 
