Abstract

The flora of Taiwan, comprising more than 4,400 vascular plant species, is one of the best studied of Asian floras. Herbarium collections of Taiwanese plants document the island's plant diversity and serve as important reference material for botanists and conservationists. Collections made during the Japanese colonial period in Taiwan (1895–1945) are of special interest in that they mark the first attempt at a truly comprehensive botanical inventory of the island. Unfortunately, these early collections are not widely distributed and are often in poor condition in Taiwanese herbaria. As such, the existence of a large, under-documented collection of Taiwanese plants in the Herbarium of the Academy of Natural Sciences-Philadelphia (PH), with many specimens collected during the Japanese colonial period, is likely to be of interest to the botanical and conservation communities in Taiwan and elsewhere. To determine the size and taxonomic scope of the collection, its historical and taxonomic importance, and the historical details of its assembly, a systematic survey was conducted in which all of the Taiwanese material was separated from the general collection at PH. Specimen label data were recorded from a phylogenetically diverse selection of plant families. The Academy’s collection was found to contain about 6,260 Taiwanese plant specimens, including representatives of 150 of the 198 seed plant families that occur in Taiwan. Within selected families, broad taxonomic representation of Taiwanese genera (33%–100%) and species (15%–100%) was encountered. Specimens in the collection were gathered between 1861 and 1977, with 90% the specimens dating to the periods 1905 (9%), 1929–1935 (28%), and 1955–1973 (53%). Over 60 collectors are represented. A preliminary search of the taxonomic literature indicates that significant type material is contained within the collection. Historical research revealed that most of the collection was assembled in Philadelphia by Hui-Lin Li (1911–2002), former professor of botany at the University of Pennsylvania and important figure in the history of floristic research in Taiwan.

中文摘要

臺灣維管束植物種類相當豐富，歷經一個多世紀的研究，目前已知原生及歸化的物種合計超過4,400 種，為亞洲各區域植物相研究最透徹的國家之一。臺灣植物學豐碩的研究成果奠基在豐富的植物標本館藏，其中日據時代（1859–1945）採集之標本為全島大規模且有系統調查下之成果，別具研究與歷史價值。然而，此段時期之植物標本並未廣泛的交換至世界各地，現多見於台灣及日本的標本館，而且早期由於缺乏良好空調控溫裝置，臺灣潮濕炎熱的亞熱帶氣候條件並不利於標本的保存，許多珍貴的歷史標本常因此受到不可回復的破壞。本文第二作者於2007 在費城自然科學院進行博士後研究時，意外的發現院內植物標本館 (PH) 中典藏了數量相當可觀的臺灣植物標本，其中有相當比例是採自日據時代的標本，極富科學及歷史價值，由於PH 並非臺灣植物學界熟悉的標本館，本文作者遂於2008年夏天對PH 館藏進行清查，以瞭解在PH 中臺灣植物標本館藏的數量、其所涵蓋的分類群、PH 臺灣植物標本的可能來源，以及其在科學上與臺灣植物學發展上可能的重要性。此外我們也詳細記錄、分析了20 個親緣關係較遠的科 (豆科、菊科、禾本科、莎草科、水龍骨科、龍膽科、毛艮科、八角科、松科、鴨跖科、羅漢松科、薯蕷科、杉科、龍舌蘭科、天南星科、粗榧科、百合科、棕櫚科、五味子科、紅豆杉科) 的標本標籤資料。業經詳細清查後發現，PH 館藏約6,260 份臺灣植物標本，涵蓋了已知臺灣植物誌198 個科中的150 科，根據20 個科詳細標本標籤分析的資料，PH 館藏在不同的科中屬的涵蓋度為20–100%，種的涵蓋度為15–100%，植物標本採集年份中最早為1861 年，最晚是1977 年，其中90%的標本採集年份集中在1905 (9%)，1929–1935 (28%)以及1955–1973 (53%)，主要的標本採集者超60 位，此外根據我們初步的清查，PH 至少有兩份臺灣植物之複模式標本、三份等價模式以及兩份可能之等價模式標本。根據我們走訪費城地區植物學界與研閱賓夕法尼亞大學檔案資料證實，PH 的大批臺灣植物館藏與光復後臺灣植物學界之巨擘李惠林教授有密切的關係，本文並對PH 標本在李教授在費城地區的研究生涯所扮演角色進行討論。

Keyword: Botanical collections, botanical history, Hui-Lin Li, Japanese colonial period in Taiwan, TAI herbarium. 植物標本採集、植物學歷史、李惠林、日據時代、臺灣大學植物標本館。