Introduction

The gestation period of this volume took more time still than feared. The time I could spend on Pacific Plant Areas, now officially recognized as a project of the Rijksherbarium, was limited to a few days per month. But for the help of several persons as mentioned in the Acknowledgements the completion of this volume would have taken even longer. Another drawback was that I was deprived of the help of Mrs. Van Steenis, in compiling the bibliography of published maps. This has compelled me to take some time-saving measures. A complete explanation of the bibliography and of the maps can be found in the introductions to previous volumes, but some words on the present bibliography are perhaps in order.