Forest Flora of British Burma

The primary objective of this work is to provide an organized and descriptive account of the woody plants found in British Burma. It aims to offer a means for foresters in Pegu to identify and name trees and shrubs, enabling them to address practical questions relevant to the Forest Department. Given the primitive state of Burma, it is important to note that this account of the Forest Flora is far from exhaustive. Only approximately 2,000 species of woody plants are described, while the herbaceous vegetation exceeds 2,500 species, resulting in a peculiar ratio of four woody plants to five herbs. This contrasts with other tropical countries facing similar circumstances, where woody plants tend to outnumber herbaceous plants at a ratio of one and a half to three of the former to one of the latter. This stark difference underscores the vast number of undiscovered woody plants that likely remain in Burma. Due to the extensive number of species requiring description, the work expanded to two volumes instead of the initially planned single volume. It was deemed more beneficial to provide detailed accounts for all shrubs and trees, rather than omitting them or merely providing brief descriptions.