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283
REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY, BRITISH MUSEUM,
FOR 1889.
By William Caeruthees, F.E.S.
DuEiNG the year 51,652 specimens have been mounted, named,
and inserted in their places in the Herbarium. These have consisted
chiefly of phxnts from Europe, collected by various botanists ; from
Portugal, by the Rev. R. P. Murray ; from Greece, by Hausskuecht;
from Singapore, by Ridley ; from China, by Hance ; from Japan, by
Bisset ; from Borneo, by Whitehead ; from the Atlas Mountains, by
Johnstone ; from Socotra, by Professor Balfour ; from Madagascar,
by the Rev. Deans-Cowan,
Professor MacOwan, Bolus,
and others ;
and others ;
from South Africa, by
from Australia, by Von
Mueller, and others ; from Canada, by Professor Macoun ; from
Mexico, by Palmer and Pringle ; from Dominica, by Eamage ;
and
from the Republic of Columbia, by Lehmann.
In the progress of incorporating these additions, the following
Natural Orders have been more or less completely re-arranged :
CaryoplujUacccB, Hypoicinece, Gutti/era;, Ternstroennacece, Composite^,
Cupuli/era;, Iriclacea, CommelinacecB, Graminece and Filices.
The Fungi have been entirely re-arranged ; numerous Algte have
been incorporated with the Herbarium, as well as extensive series
of Musci and LicheJies.
The exhibited series of British plants has been completed, as
far as the vascular plants are concerned, every species recognised
by Bentham, in his British Flora, being placed in the case, with its
description from that work.
A thorough revision and improved arrangement of the specimens
and illustrations exhibiting the Natural Orders of plants has been
begun, and the whole of the Monocotyledonous Orders have already
been completed.
The extensive series of original drawings of Indian and Chinese
plants have been mounted, named, and systematically arranged.
The principal additions to the Herbarium during the year have
been the acquisition by purchase of the microscopic preparations
made by the late Professor de Bary, of Strassburg, in connection
with his investigations into plant anatomy and the parasitic diseases
of plants. The total number of slides in this collection is 4429,
and of these 1220 are Fungi illustrating the life-histories of many
plant diseases described by de Bary, in numerous scientific papers
206 slides of Lichens, showing especially the structure of the
thallus ; 105 Characca) ; 40 Alga) ; 11 Musci; 286 Vascular Cryptogams;
1160 Flowering plants ; 1112 slides illustrating de Bary's
researches on Plant Anatomy as described in his published works,
and 289 slides showing various points of plant structure.
The Herbarium of Lichens formed by Horatio Piggot Esq., has
been presented by him to the Trustees. It contains many specimens
collected by himself, and numerous specimens communicated by
Mudd, Leighton, and others, including the collection of Dr. Dcaliin,
consisting altogether of 2383 specimens. It forms a valuable
addition to the collection of Lichens.