Abstract Detail

Historical Section

Cheng, Yi-Ru [1], Hu, Jer-Ming [1].

Plant collections in the pacific islands during Taihoku Imperial University period (1928-1945) based on TAI herbarium data.

Survey of natural resources in the Southeast Asia and the Pacific is one of the most important missions of Japan during its colonization period since late nineteen century. Tens of thousands of specimens were collected in these regions mostly by two Japanese botanists in the early 20th century, Ryozo Kanehira and Takahide Hosokawa. They also represented the two major periods of plant surveys in Taiwan, led by the Department of Forestry of Government Research Institute and the Department of Botany of Taihoku Imperial University (TIU, now National Taiwan University, NTU), respectively. However, these specimens at NTU were never properly inventoried and largely neglected by taxonomists. This study is intended to collect the data from TAI herbarium at NTU and compile a database for future researchers interested in the pacific flora. More than 4,700 specimens collected from the Pacific islands were databased at the TAI herbarium (NTU) and were mostly collected by Hosokawa from Micronesia, including Palau, Pohnpei, Mariana, Kosrae, Chuuk, and Yap. The top five families for these collections are Rubiaceae, Orchidaceae, Gramineae, Leguminosae, and Cyperaceae. These specimens were inventoried into database, representing 140 families, 570 genera, and 1080 species of vascular plants. Over 40% of the 390 type specimens are newly found in this study and all of the images of the type specimens will be available on the internet through TAI herbarium website (http://tai2.ntu.edu.tw/). The results will definitely provide valuable information for the studies of Micronesian flora.

Related Links:
TAI herbarium database

1 - National Taiwan University, Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rm1227 Life Science Building, 1 Sec 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
2 - National Taiwan University, Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rm1227 Life Science Building, 1 Sec 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan

Keywords:
Takahide Hosokawa
Flora
Micronesia
herbarium specimen
Taihoku Imperial University
TAI herbarium.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Hall D/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PHS002
Abstract ID:293
Candidate for Awards:None