Miscellaneous news

Botany 2000-Asia is a co-operative programme, recognised and sponsored by UNESCO, of Asian botanists aiming to raise the standard of Asian descriptive botanical research. The primary field is plant taxonomy. Following the formal establishment of the UNESCO program in 1989 a steering Committee headed by Dr. N. MARCHANT organized a workshop in Perth, Australia, in October 1990, followed by two family oriented workshops, one on Zingiberaceae in Haat Yai, Thailand, (1991), and another on the Rutaceae in Manila, February 1992. Subsequently two study groups were formed with their own newsletters to promote and co-ordinate research in these families. In November 1993 a third workshop, on Annonaceae and Simaroubaceae, was organised. The aims and initiatives of the Botany 2000 Board are of course of special interest to Flora Malesiana. Those who want to receive the Botany 2000-Asia Newsletter, please write to: UNESCO/ROSTSCA, att. Mr. M. VAN ALPHEN, 8 Poorvi Marg, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi 110057, India. The latest issue of this newsletter has an interesting article by Dr. R. KIEW, advocating local and national Flora projects. She states that we cannot wait for Flora Malesiana to be completed and that in view of the decline of botanical institutes in the Western World, the Malesian region cannot rely on scientists from the old empire to shoulder taxonomic work. The latter attitude we acclaim very much, as the Foundation Flora Malesiana is convinced that the position of Malesian countries in the Flora Malesiana project should be strengthened. But at the same time we are convinced that as much as possible we must join efforts for a timely completion of Flora Malesiana. A complete Flora Malesiana will facilitate the efficient production of numerous user-friendly local Flora’s. In the next issue of the Flora Malesiana Bulletin we will elaborate more on this topic.