3 
the flora of which is much better known. Mr. Corner also studied the 
local names of the common trees which differ in these States remarkably 
from the vernacular names in other parts of the country. Thus the mangos- 
teen is called “mesetor” or “sementah”, the tamarind “chelagi”, the 
cashew-nut “keterek”, Eugenia grandis “jembah” or “ubah”, Calophyllum 
inophyllum “paku achu” and Giuta renghas “jintun”. One hundred and 
forty-one field-numbers were obtained. 
In August Mr. Corner took two plant-collectors to Fraser’s Hill during 
his local leave. With the aid of these and of his botanical monkey {see 
below) it was soon discovered that there was still a great deal of botanising 
to be done before the flora of even this hill-station might be adequately 
known. By the Gap a large “strangling fig” was discovered which proved 
to be Ficus juglandiformis known only from one or two old collections from 
Sumatra. The wild chempedak or bankong, w hich has never been described 
botanically, was common by the road to the Dairy Farm. And several new’ 
or rare Huphorbiaceous trees were found. Ninty-seven field-numbers w 7 ere 
obtained. 
In September, at the invitation of Captain A. T. A. Ritchie, Chief Game 
Warden, Federated Malay States, Mr. Corner joined him in an expedition 
to the summit of Gunong Tahan. The party left Kuala Tembeling on 
September 6th and returned on the iSth, after spending four nights at the 
Padang-camp. Through the necessity of travelling light, big collections 
could not be made, but about 400 unnumbered specimens and 200 spirit- 
specimens were obtained. Diving plants of Eivistona tahanensis, Pandanus 
Klossii, a many-hued Nepenthes, and a wondrously large-flowered Tacca 
cristat a were brought back to Singapore. Attention w r as given mainly to 
the characteristic plants of the riverside, ridges and padang and, especially, 
to the conifers. It was found that Podocarpus deflexus, known only from 
the padang of Gunong Tahan, was so abundant that it could be regarded as 
codominant with Agathis flavescens in the uppermost forests. Mr. Corner’s 
conclusions agreed with those of Mr. Ridley’s that the Agathis was a 
“good’’, endemic species. Further, as a result of the expedition, it was 
found necessary to distinguish a new species of Dacrydium and to revise 
critically the other Malayan species which in the herbarium had become 
sadly mixed. The sight of the vast moorland of Gunong Tahan, on which 
the climber breaks after threading the steep defile of Tangga Duabelas, is 
the most remarkable that can greet the eyes of the botanist in all Malaya 
—the open fields, one may say, above the forest. And when he has enjoyed 
the easy collecting on the padang and, on his return, peers again into 
the mysterious Teku-gorge filled with its ocean of trees in stupefying 
variety, he realises the boundless task ahead : for more than one life-time 
will be needed to complete the botanical exploration of the National Park. 
The watershed of the Sedili River in the East of Johore continued to 
provide plants of great interest. Mr. Corner paid several one-day excur¬ 
sions to the district and in June the Director and Mr. Corner had the 
pleasure of taking the famous botanical explorer, Captain F, Kingdon 
Ward, to the Sedili the wild beauty of w’hich so near to civilisation is 
always refreshing. In March a plant-collector was stationed for two w-eeks 
at the Sungei Kayu Saw Mill to take advantage of the tree-felling : he made 
a valuable collection of some 130 numbers. 
In May a small party, consisting principally of Mr. E. Moysey and the 
first plant-collector, Kiah, was organised to visit Gunong Padang in 
Trengganu. The object of the expedition was to make a preliminary 
survey of the vegetation in the upper part of the mountain with a view 
to further exploration, and also to add another locality of intensive 
. collecting to the little known interior of the East Coast between Kuanfan 
?!* 
