4 
i 
the Peninsula. Unfortunately there is still much confusion in the naming 
of a great many of these trees, and the-published descriptions are not only 
inadequate, but being based on dried specimens are often misleading to 
anyone studying living trees. It is most desirable to have the names 
published in the new book as accurate as possible, as it is hoped the book 
will be a standard one for some time to come. Mr. Corner has therefore 
been obliged to study critical^ the nomenclature in every genus he has 
encountered, and he has also drawn up original descriptions, based as far as 
possible on fresh specimens collected by himself. This has involved 
enormous labour, and in twelve months of almost continuous work, often 
up to io hours a day, he has not covered all the necessary ground preliminary 
to the actual writing of the book. The necessity for consulting work on 
the plants of neighbouring countries, mentioned above in connection with 
Eugenia, applies to a still greater extent with the common trees dealt with 
by Mr. Corner. The names of many such trees, as recorded in Ridley’s 
Flora, have been altered by botanists working chiefly at Manila and 
Buitenzorg, and it has been necessary to check their work, which in many 
cases has been found doubtful or inaccurate. Mr. Corner has in fact been 
obliged to undertake fundamental taxonomical research in nearly every 
group of trees he has dealt with. He found for example that the confusion 
in the genus Artocarpus is such that the correct botanical names for the 
Jack-fruit, the Bread-fruit and the Chempedak are still unknown, that the 
well-known Malayan fruit Tampoi is unrecorded or misidentified in works 
on Malayan botany, and that the names of the common species of Wormia, 
Eugenia and Ixora have nearly all to be changed. 
Mr. Furtado carried on routine work in the Herbarium in the absence 
of Mr. Henderson. He devoted the greater part of his time to a continuation 
of his study of rattans, and to studying the application of the rules of 
botanical nomenclature, which leads to some rather complex problems in 
connection with the naming of local plants. In this matter he was of 
considerable assistance to Mr. Corner in the work described above. 
Mr. Furtado’s visit to Buitenzorg in April enabled him to add 
considerably to his knowledge of rattans and other palms, and also to collect 
valuable material for the Singapore herbarium. At Buitenzorg is a very 
large collection of living rattan plants, collected from various parts of 
tropical Asia. Eeccari based many of his species on them and on other 
palms cultivated at Buitenzorg, so that they are of great botanical importance. 
Mr. Furtado, with the assistance of the Buitenzorg staff, was able to collect 
specimens from 190 individual plants (about 1,000 specimens altogether). 
These specimens were brought to Singapore, and duplicates were distributed 
from here after a preliminary study in the herbarium. The result was the 
addition to our herbarium of more than 100 species not previously represented, 
and the collection constitutes the most valuable contribution ever made to 
our palm collection. Mr. Furtado’ s studies of rattan plants in cultivation 
both in Singapore and at Buitenzorg enabled him to confirm Beccari’s 
assertion (which other botanists have denied) that the rattan genera Calamus 
and Daemonorops are normally dioecious ( i.e male and female flowers are 
borne on separate plants). He has embodied his observations on this matter 
in a paper which will be published in the Gardens Bulletin. 
Mr. Furtado’s studies in the application of the Rules of botanical 
nomenclature led him to the conclusion that some confusion is caused by 
the inadequate interpretation of the terms valid and legitimate; and also to 
make various other proposals for the more precise definition of the Rules; 
