PREFACE

In the Appendix of his Report on the Forests of the Sudan, published in 1901, Mr. C. E. Muriel, of the Imperial Indian Forest Service, gave a list of the more common trees and shrubs and of a few other plants, together with short descriptions and statements on their uses and economic value, also their Arabic and, where possible, the Hameg names.

At the end of that year the Sudan Government gave me the appointment of Director of Woods and Forests. At that time only few of the volumes of the Flora of Tropical Africa had appeared and the earliest ones were already antiquated. During the numerous journeys taken by me in various parts of the Sudan, my wife and I were able to collect a large number of plants, making at the same time notes of their names in various languages of the Sudan, and their economic and other uses. I also received considerable help, as regards Golo names, from the late Mr. S. Skirmunt, then Deputy Inspector of Forests in the Bahr el Ghazal Province. By 1906 I had gathered sufficient material both from my trips and from the Kew Herbarium to draw up a rough “Catalogue of Sudan Flowering Plants,” giving short descriptions, a number of vernacular names and some economic and other uses, many of which were obtained from Watt’s Dictionary of Economic Products.[1] As it was somewhat hastily got up it was printed by the Sudan Government not for general circulation, but for the use of Sudan officials only.

During the years which followed, up to my retirement in 1910, I was able to add to the list a considerable number of names both scientific and vernacular. I am indebted for the help I received, as regards Kordofan plants, to Mr. H. B. MacMichael, of the Sudan Civil Service, and, as regards the Red Sea littoral, to Mr. Cyril Crossland, at that time Marine Biologist to the Sudan Government.

After my retirement Mr. R. E. Massey was appointed, in 1912, Sudan Government Botanist, and I had the good fortune of securing his co-operation in bringing out a more complete Catalogue of the Flowering Plants of the Sudan. Mr. Massey, by his presence on the spot, and by his technical knowledge, has been able to give to the present Catalogue a greater completeness and finish than I should have been capable of unaided; he was also able to get further assistance from other persons in the Sudan. He particularly and gratefully acknowledges the help he received from Mrs. Crowfoot, wife of Mr. J. W. Crowfoot, Director of Education, in a variety of ways, such as collections of plants, Hadendowa and other vernacular names, and drawings and paintings of plants. A number of Dinka and Shilluk names were also given by Mr. H. C. Jackson, of the Sudan Civil Service, and Nuer names by the late Major Stigand. A collection of plants of the Burun country, with their vernacular names, was received from Dr. Kamar, of the Egyptian Army, a further collection by Mr. Sillitoe, superintendent of Gardens, Khartoum, from the Lado District, and one from Admiral Lynes, C.B., C.M.G., in Darfur, mostly in the region of the range of mountains, called Jebel Marra, which attains an elevation of over 10,000 ft., and bears a flora quite distinct from all other parts of the Sudan.

The Catalogue was at first compiled without any descriptive matter, but Mr. R. Hewison, Director of Agriculture and Forests, Sudan Government, speaking on behalf of that Government, which is defraying the costs of printing this book, expressed an opinion that it would be more useful to officials in the Sudan if short descriptions were added. In order, therefore, to supply these as quickly as possible we depended very largely on descriptions in the Flora of Tropical Africa, which we shortened considerably. My wife and I worked this out as far as and including the Cyperaceæ, and Mr. Massey undertook to do the grasses, part only of which have as yet appeared in the Flora. He desires to acknowledge the aid received from Mr. C. E. Hubbard in the preparation of the key to the Grasses. Mr. J. Hutchinson kindly helped us with plants in the Kew Herbarium which have not been described in the Flora. But a further acknowledgment is due to Mr. Hutchinson. He has regrouped the Natural Orders according to the system described in his recent book, The Families of Flowering Plants, I. Dicotyledons,[2] and has also furnished a key to the Classification, thus bringing this book into line with all the African Regional Floras which are to be taken in hand. He has also consented to look over the proofs. Our most cordial thanks are due for his help.

My wife has been constantly associated with me in my share of the work from the time when we collected material in the Sudan until now, and deserves also to earn her share of whatever credit may be given for this work.

Finally, I wish to record the debt of gratitude which we owe to Dr. Hill, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, to Mr. Cotton, the Keeper of the Herbarium, to Dr. Stapf, the late Keeper, and to the Staff of the Herbarium, most particularly Mr. C. H. Wright, Mr. Dunn, Miss Hughes, and Mr. Skan for the numerous acts of kindness and help which they have given us, making thus our work light and pleasant.

A. F. BROUN.

“Oaklands,”

Ampthill,

Dec. 18th, 1925.

Note.—Owing to various causes, for which we are not responsible, the printing of this book has been considerably delayed. Mrs. Crowfoot, to whom reference has been made above, is now bringing out a companion volume to this, containing drawings of various plants from the Northern and Central Sudan.

My dear wife, who shared all my work, died on the 11th April, 1927.

A. F. BROUN.

Ampthill,

March 20th, 1928.