Abstract
WITHIN the last score of years much light has been thrown upon our knowledge of the flora of Japan. We still, however, know little about the flora of the groups of islands which lie scattered off the coast of her southern boundary. It is true that some botanical collections made during the last few years have shown a certain insight into the flora of some of the archipelago known as the Riukiu or Loochoo Islands, but it is equally true that most of the islands remain as yet absolutely uninvestigated. Since careful studies of the materials, both literature and specimens, scanty as they are, have shown that the flora of the Riukiu Islands form obviously the connecting link between that of Japan, on the one hand, and, on the other, those of South-Eastem China and the Indo-Malayan region through the islands of Hong Kong and Formosa, it seems necessary to take a clear view of the flora of the Riukiu Islands where the boundary lines of those of the two above main regions overlap. Hence it may be worth while to offer a brief summary of our present knowledge of the flora of the Riukiu Islands, taken not only from the materials already presented to the scientific world, but also from those works which have been brought out by the hands of native botanists of Eastern Asia, which have not yet been accessible to most of the Western men of science.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Up to the time of the publication of my paper on the "Berberidacese of Japan" (Journ. Linn. Soc. 1887, vol. xxii.), I found that no one had Collected specimens of this plant in the Riukiu Islands.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
ITO, T. Botany of the Riukiu (Loochoo) Islands. Nature 36, 538–539 (1887). https://doi.org/10.1038/036538a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/036538a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.