4 
Specimens were received in exchange from the following:— 
Forest Research Institute, Kuala Lumpur. 
Arnold Arboretum, U. S. A. 
Metropolitan Museum of Natural History, Nanking, China. 
University of California. 
Dr. E. D. Merrill, New York. 
Botanic Gardens, Buitenzorg. 
Government Botanist, Brisbane. 
Smithsonian Institution, U. S. A. 
Bureau of Science, Manila. 
Dr. Kerr, Bangkok. 
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 
Taihoku Imperial University, Japan. 
The Cryptogamic Herbarium. —Mr. Corner devoted much of his time to 
the continuation of his fungus studies, particularly to the structure and 
systematy of the Polyporacese, and published three papers on the subject during 
the year. In connection with this work, about 50 specimens were borrowed 
from the herbaria at Buitenzorg, Manila and Peradeniya. The common agaric, 
Collybia apalosarca, was also investigated in detail and the results have been 
sent for publication; it is interesting because it closely unites the two common 
European species C. radicata and Armillaria mucida, and throws considerable 
light on the classification of agarics. Several collections of fungi were received 
from the Department of Agriculture and from the Rubber Research Institute 
for identification. 
Mr. Corner has also continued his observations on the development of 
fungi. The wooden insect proof “fungarium” constructed in 1981 was in full 
use, and 32 species of Polypores have been grown successfully to maturity. 
With the experience gained, it is hoped to build a more durable house in which 
other plants requiring very damp conditions can also be grown. 
The Director continued to work on Malayan ferns. The early part of the 
year was devoted to completing a study of the interesting groups of climbing 
ferns hitherto united under the genus Stenochlaena and a paper on the subject 
was published. In the course of this work, a considerable amount of information 
was obtained concerning the anatomy, morphology, and biology of the plants 
concerned, leading to a revision of ideas on their relationship. The Director 
also worked over his collections of ferns from Kinabalu, submitting a set of 
them to Dr. C. Christensen of Copenhagen for his opinion. The collection 
proved to contain about 30 new species and a considerable number of others 
not previously reported from Borneo. It is hoped to publish an account of 
these in 1933. An attempt was also made to study the species and varieties 
of Adiantum (maidenhair ferns) in cultivation, and some progress was made, 
with a view to writing a popular account of the group. 
Mr. H. N. Dixon reported on the Kinabalu mosses, which proved also to 
be very interesting. There were nearly 20 new species, one representing a 
genus hitherto only known from the African tropics and one being an Andreaea, 
of which no species were previously known in Asia south of the Himalayas. 
Laboratory WorJc.— During July and August, Mr. R. Hill, of the School 
of Biochemistry, Cambridge, worked in the laboratory and made preliminary 
experiments on the natural dyes in Morinda spp., Vitex spp., various members 
of the Rhizophoracese, and several other plants. With Mr. Corner’s assistance, 
he obtained locally the dried bark of several species with which to continue his 
researches in England. 
The Director continued his cultivation of hybrid orchid seedlings on sterile 
media, and a considerable number of new sowings were made, both from crosses 
made in the Gardens and from outside, the latter principally macie by 
Mr. J. Laycock, who has taken a great interest in this work. Some of the 
oldest Vanda and Arachnis seedlings were planted out under normal conditions 
of cultivation during the year, and the largest reached more than a foot in 
height and an almost full development of leaf and stem size. It is hoped that 
they will flower in 1933. Much difficulty is still encountered in establishing 
the seedlings on normal substrata after they leave the culture flasks. A report 
on this work was given in the second number of the Malayan Orchid Review, 
and further reports will be made in the same publication. ' 
